Banna :)
by miss-ute and annambates
Summary: A series of drabbles written in response to the fic challenge, created by awesomegreentie and terriejane on Tumblr :)
1. Šopek

**#1 – A bouquet**

''No, no, no!'' Anna shrieked, when yet another car drove through a big puddle of water, soaking her even more she already was. ''Idiot!'' she yelled after the car, while clutching her wet suitcase and continuing to walk along the side of the road. Her train from London to Ripon had been late, which meant that she had missed the last bus to Downton. She should have listened to John and let him meet her at the station. But no - she'd had to be stubborn and had insisted on taking the bus home.

''Ohhh, come on!'' she wailed in exasperation, looking up at the sky, when the rain started falling even harder. Her phone had run out of battery, and considering that the train station was some distance from the village and that she had been the only passenger getting off at Ripon, there hadn't been a single person who could had driven her home. She could have waited for the rain to stop, but she hadn't considered that idea for more than a moment. It had been late already and today was their son's first birthday, so she was determined to get home before John put him to bed - even if that meant walking a whole mile in the late autumn rain.

In the next ten minutes, two more cars drove past her, but neither of them stopped and offered her a lift; all they did was honk or wave back at her. She was soaking wet, tired, and frustrated. Why had she been so stubborn?

It was already dark when she finally reached their little cottage. She was soaking wet, her jeans were covered in mud, and her suitcase was missing one of its little wheels, which had fallen off during her walk home. She looked like a mess and felt even worse when she saw that all the lights were off. She shouldn't have listened to Mary, when she had asked Anna to attend her baby shower in London just before Jack's first birthday.

''For god's sake, Anna!'' she scolded herself as she unlocked the door, struggling to hold back tears. Opening the door and stepping into the dark hall, she could feel the warmth of their home hitting her cold, wet face. She left her bag by the door, and tossing the keys onto a nearby shelf and removing her muddy shoes, she made her way down the hall toward the sitting room, where she could see a warm glow coming from under the door.

''John?'' she called her husband's name, but the only response she got was the sound of her son's happy gurgles from inside the room. Finally pushing the door open, she could see John snoring peacefully on the couch, with Jack sitting safely in the crook of his arm, playing with dozens of red rose petals which were scattered all over his father's chest. He hadn't yet heard her, so Anna took a second to stare at the two most important people in her life before letting her son know that she was there. He was growing so quickly, she thought to herself, watching as he tossed some petals in the air and giggled when some of them landed on his dad's sleeping face.

''Jack?'' she said softly, and smiled when she saw the little blond boy finally look up.

''Mama!'' A babble mixed with a squeak burst from him as he turned his head in her direction, his blue eyes filled with so much joy at seeing her after three long days apart.

''Hello, little one,'' she cooed and took a step toward him, as he started bouncing up and down, his little arms already up in the air, begging her to pick him up.

''Happy birthday!'' she said, and kissed his chubby cheeks, while he wiggled happily in her arms, making the most adorable sounds.

''What have you and Daddy been up to today, hmmm?'' she asked. The lights were out, but the glow from the fireplace gave her just enough light to see the table behind the couch all set, with a small cake in the middle.

When Anna ran her cold nose against his warm one, the boy clapped his hands in excitement. The sudden noise roused John, whose drowsy voice betrayed a hint of panic as he called out, "Jack!?"

''We're right here!'' she giggled, turning around, seeing her husband's worried face staring back at her.

''What happened to you?'' John asked, and immediately stood up when he took in her bedraggled appearance.

''I missed my bus,'' she answered, turning toward him with Jack in her arms. ''So I walked.''

''You walked all the way from Ripon in this weather?! Why didn't you ring me?''

''My phone died,'' she explained, before he leaned closer and placed a warm kiss on her cold lips.

''You're freezing.'' He furrowed his brow, feeling bad that he had fallen asleep on the couch while waiting for her to come home, and that she had ended up walking all the way from Ripon in the chilly rain. Before she could protest, he took Jack from her and said, ''Come on...I can't let you catch a cold...or worse.'' He gently placed his hand on the small of her back and led her toward the bathroom.

''Take a hot bath and join us when you're done,'' he said, brushing her forehead with his lips before closing the door behind him.

20 minutes later, Anna emerged from the bathroom and after changing into some fresh, dry clothes, she joined her boys back in the sitting room. Jack was sitting on the floor, too busy playing with his toys to notice her coming in.

''Feeling any better?'' John stood up and walked over the moment he saw her.

''Yes, thank you,'' she smiled.

He looped one hand around her waist and, closing the gap between them, met her lips in a slow, gentle kiss, taking her breath away as he always did.

''Hello,'' he whispered, when they finally opened their eyes and stared at each other.

''Hello.'' She was so glad that she was finally home in his strong, warm embrace.

''Sorry I fell asleep. If I'd known you'd missed the bus, I'd have come for you.''

''It's all right - you didn't know. Plus it was only a mile, and I'm here now, and I haven't missed the last hours of our boy's first birthday. Let's just enjoy the evening!" Anna smoothed back the stray lock of hair that had fallen onto his forehead, then added with a smirk, "You can brood about it tomorrow.'' She knew him well - how hard he could be on himself sometimes - but she was here now, dry and warm in the arms of the man she loved more than life itself, and so happy that she had made it home in time to celebrate Jack's birthday.

John smiled. She was right - he would probably brood about it again in the days ahead - but he also knew that she felt bad for missing most of this special day, so he tried to change the subject. ''I let him nap a little longer this afternoon, so he would be awake for you tonight,'' John explained, looking at the boy, who was happily babbling to himself while playing.

''Thank you,'' Anna replied, and gave him another kiss before letting go of him in an attempt to sit next to Jack, but John didn't seem ready to let go just yet.

''What?'' she asked, looking at his smiling face as he tightened his hold on her.

''I have something for you...'' he began.

''Oh?'' She locked her hands around his neck, before he pulled his other hand in front of her, holding a bouquet he and Jack had bought in the village when they had picked up the cake from Mrs. Patmore's bakery that morning.

''What is this?'' She tried her best not to laugh. He was holding what had probably once been a large bouquet of red roses, but all that remained were two thornless stems with only three red petals left on each one.

''Roses?'' He smiled sheepishly.

''Oh, really?'' She could barely hold back her laughter.

''Well, it was supposed to be a whole bouquet but someone, who I'll not name, decided to play with them before his mummy arrived home. I'm very glad I chose the thornless ones.'' John chuckled at her expression.

''Well, thank you.'' She took the remains of the flowers, and looking at them up close, she could not help but burst into laughter. Once she started, she couldn't stop, burrowing her head in his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks in her mirth. ''They are…they look very…''

''...they look like shit,'' John finished, joining in her laughter.

''Yes, they do...they really do.'' They both continued laughing so hard that even Jack looked up curiously from his toys, wanting to know why his parents were making such a fuss.

Seeing what little remained of the roses, Anna finally understood why John's chest had been covered in petals when she had walked into the room earlier. Jack must have taken advantage of those few minutes while his father dozed and made a mess of them, she thought to herself.

''But I love them anyway...thank you!" she continued. "Between your lovely thought and Jack leaving his own mark on them, it's actually the sweetest bouquet I've ever received.'' She kissed him again, her cold, wet walk from the station now forgotten. They both sat down on the floor and spent the rest of the evening playing with their little boy, nibbling on birthday cake, and cuddling in front of the fireplace amid the scattered rose petals.

* * *

 **beta: the lovely annambates of course! :D THANK YOU! ******

 **So? :D Tell us what you think! :) and thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Pahljača

**#2 – The fan**

''Oh, come on, Robert...I can't wear this!'' John looked at his best friend in disgust.

''What's wrong with it?'' Robert asked from inside the bathroom, where he was putting his costume on.

''What's wrong with it? Are you kidding me? I'm _not_ going to wear tights!''

Robert and Cora were throwing a big British historical film themed Halloween party at their place, and with John too busy at work to spend time finding an appropriate costume, Robert had offered to get him one.

''For your information, they're called _hose_ , and that's what men wore during the Elizabethan era,'' Robert replied, finally emerging from the bathroom fully dressed in his costume. ''What do you think? Pretty sharp, wouldn't you say?'' he said proudly.

''Oh, my god!'' John looked him over from head to toe and made a face. ''There is absolutely no chance that I'm wearing this tonight.'' He sat down, staring at Robert, who still appeared very pleased with himself and his outfit. He was wearing a stiff white ruff around his neck and a pale gold and red doublet over a white shirt. But what really made John roll his eyes was a pair of mid-thigh length breeches in the same gold and red, and a pair of white hose bridging the gap between the breeches and his long-toe block shoes.

''Stop whinging and try it on,'' Robert said, admiring himself in the mirror as he placed a funny little hat on his head. ''I got us cloaks, too.''

''Look, Rob - I appreciate your picking something up for me.'' John stood up and shook his head. ''But I just can't wear this.'' There was no way he was going to be seen in public in that ridiculous outfit.

''So what _are_ you going to wear?''

''I have no idea, but I'll think of something.''

''You do know the party is tonight, right? What are the chances that you can get anything else at such short notice?'' Robert grinned at him, guessing that in the end, John would likely be forced to give in and wear the Elizabethan costume.

''I said that I'll think of something.''

''Good luck with that.''

''Thank you. And you can keep these _tights_ of yours.'' John took a step toward him and tossed the pair he had been holding over Robert's shoulder before walking out of the bedroom.

''They're _hose_!'' Robert shouted at John's retreating figure.

'' _Tights_!'' John yelled back from the bottom of the stairs, as he made his way to the front door. Robert just shook his head and laughed.

 **xXx**

''I can't believe you're making me wear this!'' Anna said to Mary, walking into the ballroom full of guests dressed in different period costumes. The whole Crawley family was dressed in "Shakespeare in Love" themed outfits, so Anna had really had little choice when Mary offered her the dress originally meant for her youngest sister. Sybil and her new boyfriend Tom had decided to skip the Halloween party and go to Thailand for the month.

''Oh, Anna, you look beautiful!'' Mary exclaimed. She took her hand and dragged her toward the bar where Matthew was waiting, dressed in a silly outfit very similar to the one his father-in-law was wearing.

''Mary, slow down!'' Anna hissed, doing her best to keep up, while also trying not to step on or trip over her dress. She was wearing a simple high-waisted red gown, which draped fluidly down her slim form. It really wasn't that bad, but the corset she was wearing was making it hard for her to breathe easily.

''I think I'm going to faint,'' she gasped, when they finally reached Matthew.

''Here, take my fan,'' Mary said, beginning to run out of patience with her friend. She loved her dearly, but Anna could not seem to stop complaining about her corset.

''Can I get you a drink?'' Matthew offered, despite looking as annoyed about his outfit as Anna felt.

''Just some water, please,'' Anna begged, waving the fan near her flushed face as quickly as she was able. The room was full of people dancing and having a good time, but her costume was making her feel the effects of the heat and stuffiness even more than she might ordinarily.

''Here you go.''

''Thank you,'' Anna replied gratefully, taking the glass of water and downing in it a few desperate gulps.

''Anna, Mary!'' Cora's voice made them turn around. ''I was wondering when you two would arrive.''

''Hello, Mama,'' Mary leaned closer and gave her a peck on the cheek. ''Sorry we're late, but someone wouldn't stop complaining about her dress,'' she added, nodding toward Anna with a smirk.

''Mary!'' Anna nudged her, giggling.

''Is it the corset?'' Cora laughed.

''Yes,'' Anna admitted, relieved that someone understood. It might make her waist look slimmer and her bust more prominent, but wearing it was a nightmare.

''Well, at least you don't have to wear this idiotic ruff around your neck! I don't know why I let Robert talk me into this ridiculous outfit. I _am_ an American, after all. I should have dressed as a flapper - that would have been much more comfortable!''

''Well, Mama, I don't think…'' Mary began, when they suddenly heard Robert's raised voice making its way toward them.

''What the hell were you thinking?! Is that _dirt_ on your face?!'' they heard him exclaim.

''Well, you did say we could wear anything from any British period film!'' John's voice responded with a chuckle.

''But did you really have to go with the whole Braveheart thing?!''

''Well, I _am_ half Scottish, so why not?!''

''Cora, look at him! Just look at him!'' Robert finally reached them, walking up to his wife and pointing to John, who was following his friend with a big grin on his face. ''He looks ridiculous!''

''Oh, my god!'' Anna whispered. John was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and not a staid modern tailored kilt, but a Braveheart-style belted plaid wrapped around his waist and falling just above his knees, the remaining fabric draped over his left shoulder. His knee-high dark boots were the perfect finishing touch. Forget about Mel Gibson...John was gorgeous!

''Well, he looks better than the two of us do,'' Matthew ventured, but quickly regretted it when Robert turned to him, shock written all over his face. ''What?!''

''Robert, come on...let's dance.'' Cora took him by the hand and pulled him onto the dance floor before he could say anything further, leaving Mary, Matthew, Anna, and John alone by the bar.

''Let's join them,'' Mary said to Matthew quickly, well aware that Anna had had a big crush on John since the two women had been in their early twenties. Before disappearing onto the dance floor with Matthew, Mary winked at Anna, whispering ''Good luck!'' Anna's cheeks flushed.

''So, what do you think?'' John turned to her. ''Is it really that bad?''

''Umm...'' Anna bit her lip, staring at him, unable to respond. Her mind seemed able to think about just one thing – did he or didn't he have his boxers on under that costume?

Maybe Mary thought she only had a crush, but Anna knew it was more than that. She had fallen in love with John years ago, long before she had even spoken to the man. There was something about him that made her knees feel weak every single time she rested her eyes on him.

''You look very nice,'' she finally managed to say.

''I do, don't I?'' He grinned at her. They had become true friends over the years, and had supported each other through the last years of his unhappy marriage and through several rocky relationships of hers. She had always been there for him when he needed her, and the same could be said about him. And now with his divorce finally over, she knew she was free to make a move on him if she chose to, but she hadn't.

''Is that really dirt?'' she asked playfully, placing her hand on his muddy upper arm, savouring the feeling of his firm bicep and lightly stroking his skin without realizing it.

''It is,'' he laughed, jovially trying to mask his heightened awareness of her touch. But his manner quickly turned serious when he saw her face drain of colour.

''Anna, are you OK?''

Maybe it was because she was wearing such a tight corset, or maybe it was the fact that he was looking so devastatingly handsome, but Anna suddenly realized that she was having trouble breathing.

''I think I need some fresh air,'' she whispered.

''Come on, let's get away from this crowd.'' John was by her side immediately, slipping his arm gently around her waist, and guiding her out of the ballroom. He helped her upstairs to the guest room where he was staying overnight, and out onto the little private balcony. ''Better?'' he asked, when the cold October air hit their faces.

''No, not really,'' she exhaled, clutching her chest and fanning herself once again, trying to take in more air. "Maybe the costume is too tight?"

He could see that she was getting paler by the minute, and realizing that the fresh air wasn't going to help, he pulled her back into his room and stepped behind her.

''How in the world does this work?'' he asked, staring at the intricate laces fastening the back of the dress, with no clue how to loosen them.

''John...!'' Her weak, frightened gasp threw him into a panic.

''Hold on!'' he replied, pulling the traditional black knife out of his boot, and without thinking twice he started cutting the laces, in hopes of getting her out of the dress before she fainted. His relief at having cut the laces of her dress was short-lived. He peeled open the back of her dress, only to be faced with another set of laces holding her corset tight. John immediately began cutting those, as well.

''Better?'' he asked just a few seconds later, when the blade of the knife cut through the last silky lace of the corset, leaving her standing before him with her back completely exposed.

''Yes, yes!'' she exclaimed, inhaling deeply.

''Come on, sit down,'' he said, and helped her sit on his bed, before going to the bathroom to get her some water. ''Here.''

Thanking him, she took a sip and when she was finally breathing normally again, she turned and stared at him. He looked so handsome in his costume, she thought to herself, her dark gaze drifting first to his open shirt collar and then to his lips.

''Are you sure you're all right?'' he asked again, unable to read the unfamiliar expression in her eyes. But before he could inquire further, she had let Mary's fan fall to the floor and was leaning closer to him.

''An-…'' he managed to choke out, just before she touched her soft lips to his. He moaned into her mouth as their lips crushed together and her tongue slid in to meet his. Suddenly they couldn't get enough of each other, and before they knew it, John was partially on top of her, his hands roaming all over the soft skin of her back and sliding under the open fabric at the back of her dress.

He couldn't believe that he finally had her in his embrace, after so many years of just looking from afar and dreaming. He had loved her for so long, loved her the same way she loved him, even though he hadn't been aware of her feelings. The fact that he felt so unworthy of her had kept him from doing anything more than pining over her.

''Are you sure?'' he whispered, when he felt her hands slipping tentatively under the hem of his plaid.

''You don't want to?'' she said breathlessly. She knew she was walking on thin ice here, but hoped he wouldn't push her away, praying he felt the same as she did.

Looking deeply into her eyes, he could see that she really wanted this. She wanted him, the same way he wanted her, and he knew that he could never say no to anything she asked of him.

''You have no idea,'' he rasped, his eyes dark with need. Crushing his lips on hers once again, he helped her out of her gown, and before she knew it, she got the answer to her earlier question – no, he was _not_ wearing a single thing under his costume.

* * *

 **BETA! ANNAMBATES! :D THANK YOU! :)**

 **and THANK YOU for reading! :D**


	3. Kocke

**#3 - The blocks**

''Have fun, Jack!'' Anna waved to her son. ''And be good for your Uncle Robert and Aunt Cora!''

''We'll be all right, don't worry,'' Robert reassured her, while fastening his 3 year-old godson into his seat. His granddaughter Sybbie was having a birthday party at Downton Abbey for her little friends, and Jack had been invited to join in the celebration. ''I'll bring him back around 7, if that's all right with you?''

''Just bring him back in one piece, Rob,'' John joked, appearing by the door. He wrapped his arm around Anna's waist and pulled her closer to him. He had practically begged Robert to come and pick their son up, so he and Anna could have some alone time, or as Robert preferred to say, some ''sexy time.'' They both loved their little boy with all their hearts, but sometimes enough was enough. They hadn't made love for the last three weeks. First it had been Jack who was sick, then Anna, and just when John had thought he had managed to avoid it, he had come down with whatever his wife and son had had.

''Very funny, John.'' Robert rolled his eyes, closing the car door and walking to his side of the vehicle. ''Bye, then. Have fun!'' he smirked, before he drove away.

''Is he gone?'' John asked, still waving after the car.

''Keep waving, John,'' Anna replied, and continued waving until the car had turned right at the corner and disappeared from view. ''OK...they're gone!''

''Come on!'' John turned around and practically pushed her into the cottage. ''Finally!'' He closed the door behind them and in the next moment pushed Anna up against it, his lips covering hers in uncontrolled hunger.

''I've...missed...you...so...much!'' he managed to say between kisses, while his hands roamed up and down her body.

''I've missed you, too. You have no idea how much,'' she moaned, locking her hands around his head, pulling him closer to her. She had missed him terribly these past weeks. Sure, they had cuddled and kissed, but nothing could replace feeling him so close to her, seeing the darkness and want in his eyes as he joined them and as they moved together.

John cupped her behind and encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist, then set her on a wide shelf in the hallway, making keys and pencils fall to the floor in a clatter.

''What are you doing?'' she gasped.

''I have no idea,'' he chuckled, and covered her laughing mouth with his. ''Let's just see what comes of this.''

In the next moment his shirt was on the floor, with her blouse soon following. As he stood between her legs, she managed to undo his belt, but when John leaned against the shelf to keep his balance, it started to shift. Had they been listening, they would have heard a faint cracking sound, but they were far too preoccupied to notice. In one moment John's lips were sucking on Anna's neck, and in the next he was trying to keep her from falling as the entire shelf and its contents crashed to the floor.

''Are you all right?'' John asked worriedly, holding her up by her elbows. ''Are you hurt?'' he tried again, as she giggled uncontrollably against his bare chest.

''Yes...no...I'm fine.'' She looked up, still laughing. ''But I think we need to continue this elsewhere,'' she added, taking his hand in hers and pulling him into the sitting room. Nothing was going to stop them from doing this today...especially not a broken shelf.

''What about the sh-…'' he began, but she ignored him. Forcefully covering his lips with hers, she deepened the kiss and it took him no time to push the broken shelf to the back of his mind. He could fix it tomorrow, he thought vaguely to himself, while his hands crept around her back, working on the clip of her bra.

''It's stuck!'' he groaned in frustration, moving backwards toward the couch.

''Oh, men!'' Anna chuckled, removing her hands from his neck to undo the clip herself. ''You can't do a thing without a woman's help,'' she teased, grinning.

''Thank god for that,'' John chuckled, tucking his fingers into the waist of her jeans, continuing to walk backward, pulling her with him.

''John, just wait a second,'' she scolded him playfully. He was right; the clip _was_ stuck. ''John…'' But he just smiled at her. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and he thanked the universe every day that she had chosen him out of all the men she could have had.

''You were saying?'' he grinned at her.

''Oh, shut up and help me!'' she laughed, her hands still trying to undo the clip. Letting go of her jeans, he began making his way around her, when he suddenly felt a stabbing pain between two of his toes, causing him to jump in shock. Instinctively pulling his leg up, he somehow managed to tangle his legs and quickly lost his balance. Before Anna could react, he had already hit the floor, clutching his feet and also his head, which he had bumped against something during his fall.

''John!'' Anna knelt down next to him. ''Are you all right?!''

''What the hell just happened?'' he grimaced, rubbing his palm up and down against his head, then looking at the floor, where a few of Jack's blocks lay scattered. ''For god's sake, I told him to put them away,'' he moaned, letting his head fall back onto the floor.

''He's only three, John,'' Anna reminded him, moving his hand away from his feet to take a look. ''And if I remember correctly, _you_ were the one who just _had_ to finish building the fortress before Robert came to pick him up,'' she added playfully.

He knew she was right, but just as he was about to protest, he felt another sharp pain. ''Heeey, what are you doing?! That hurt!'' he whined, and pulled his leg away from her.

''I think your middle toe is sprained, or maybe even broken,'' she informed him, standing up and tugging on his hand. ''Come on.''

''What? Where are we going?'' he asked, as she helped him to stand.

''To see Dr. Clarkson.''

''What? No, no, no - what about our sexy time?'' he asked, limping into the hall behind her, where she picked up their clothes and tossed his shirt at him.

''Sexy time? John...'' she chuckled, buttoning her blouse up and walking toward him. ''You're hurt, and I don't think we…''

''I don't need my toe to finish what we started!'' he interrupted, frustrated, but already feeling the throbbing pain in his right foot growing more intense.

''Let's go.'' She kissed him so he would stop talking, before picking up the car keys from the floor and helping him limp to the car.

 **xXx**

''We're back,'' Robert announced, stepping into the cottage, a sleeping Jack in his arms. ''The poor fellow fell asleep in the car and…'' He stopped when Anna appeared in the hall, covering her mouth with her finger, signalling him to lower his voice.

''What?'' Robert asked, wondering what was going on.

''John just fell asleep,'' Anna whispered, taking the sleeping boy from him and nodding toward the sitting room.

Still confused, Robert made his way into the room, and as he walked through the door, he could see John dozing peacefully on the couch, the lower part of his right leg covered in plaster and resting on a pillow. A set of crutches leaned against the side of the couch.

''What happened to him?'' He knew what kind of plans John and Anna had had for this afternoon, and he certainly hadn't expected to come back to this.

Just as Anna had suspected, John had somehow managed to break his middle toe when he had stepped on one of Jack's wooden blocks at an awkward angle. And after taking some painkillers that Dr. Clarkson had prescribed, he had finally been able to close his eyes, free of pain for the first time since the mishap.

''We had a little accident...'' Anna replied, biting the inside of her cheek to try to keep a straight face. She carried Jack upstairs to his bed, leaving Robert standing by the sofa, staring at his best mate.

''What the hell did she do to you?'' he whispered to John, thinking he was sound asleep.

''Sexy time, Robert...sexy time,'' John replied, opening one eye to look at Robert, before bursting into laughter.

* * *

 **beta: annambates! :D thank you!**

 **:) thanks for R &R!**


	4. Ključi

**#4 – Keys**

''To freedom!''

''To freedom!'' Robert repeated after John, as they toasted once again with their pints.

''Robert, I can't tell you how happy I am right now!'' John wiped his mouth with his hand and looked at his friend. ''She is _gone_ , and I don't need to see her ever again for the rest of my life!'' After almost 10 miserable years, Vera Bates was no longer a Bates. The divorce papers had been signed, their shared assets divided, and John could not feel happier than he felt at that moment. ''Miss, another round!''

''Don't you think we've had enough?'' Robert managed to ask. They'd been in the pub for the last four hours, celebrating John's divorce, and he had to admit that he was starting to feel slightly ill from all the alcohol they'd consumed.

''Maybe,'' John smirked. To tell the truth, he did feel a little dizzy. ''Tell you what - let's have one more round, and then we'll go, OK?'' He leaned on the bar and looked at Robert, his eyelids drooping, but the biggest smile on his face. He was ecstatic to finally be rid of that witch he could now happily call his _ex_ -wife.

''Just _one_ more?'' Robert held up one shaky finger in front of his face.

''Just one more,'' John laughed and smacked him on the back, throwing Robert off-balance and almost making him fall off the chair. ''Hey, hey - easy.'' John caught him just in time, and pushed a fresh pint into his hand. ''Here, drink up!''

''So are you finally going to make a move on Anna, now that you're a free man?'' Robert managed to ask before burping. ''Sorry.'' He covered his mouth and looked sheepishly at the waitress.

''What?'' John turned to him, almost spilling the pint he was holding. It had been almost 6 years since Mary had introduced her best friend to him, and to say that he had been completely mesmerized by her would be an understatement. To John, Anna Smith was perfect. Not only was she drop dead gorgeous, but she also had the kindest heart he had ever encountered. They had clicked from the moment Mary had introduced them, and the only thing preventing them from growing closer had been Vera, especially after Anna had moved into a flat across the hall from his. He and Vera had already been living apart, but the moment the witch had found out that John had been spending a lot more time with the young woman, she was back in the flat within two days, claiming she had missed him and wanted to give them another chance.

But John was no fool. He'd known exactly why Vera had come back. She was jealous, and no matter how many times he had told her that she had no reason to be, deep down he knew that she was right. He and Anna had started as acquaintances, then casual friends, and then friendly neighbours, lending each other milk, eggs, and other staples when one of them had run out. But slowly he had found himself thinking about her a lot more than he had the right to. She was much younger than he was, and that alone had been reason enough to know that he would have no real chance to ever call her his. Not only was she too young for him, she was also too good for him, and what was he? A middle-aged, divorced man with nothing to offer her but his problems.

''Anna...your neighbour? The reason you can't sleep at night?'' Robert teased, well aware of John's feelings toward the young woman.

''Shut up and drink!'' was John's only reply.

''Why shouldn't you make a move? You and I both know that you like her,'' Robert continued, nibbling on peanuts from a little bowl on the counter. ''And to be honest, I'm sick and tired of watching you pine over her, when we can all see that she feels the same about you.''

''Robert - shut up, or I swear to god I'll punch you,'' John replied, taking another sip of his beer. He and Anna were just good friends, he told himself once again, just as he had repeated continuously in his head for the last three years. He knew that she could never feel anything more than friendship toward him - she just couldn't.

''Oh, don't be like that. Vera's gone, Anna is single...what are you waiting for?'' Robert persisted. He was running of patience with his best friend. Everything was always _Anna said this_ and _Anna did that_ , all the bloody time. And now when John had finally gotten rid of Vera, he suddenly didn't want to talk about Anna at all.

''We are friends and nothing more, Robert. We could never be more than that,'' John whispered, and drained the last of his pint.

''You are full of bullshit, John Bates!'' Robert stood up and wobbled in place. ''You love her, and she loves you, end of story!'' He grabbed John's shoulder to steady himself. ''And now if you'll excuse me, I need to get the toilet.'' His face turned a unique shade of green before he zigzagged in the direction of the loo.

 **xXx**

Two hours and more than just one drink later, an even tipsier John stepped out of the taxi in front of his apartment block. After paying the driver, he slowly made his way inside and not so quietly started to climb the stairs to his flat.

''Come on, you little shit!'' he muttered, when his keys fell to the floor as he attempted to unlock his door. Picking up them up, he tried a second time, but the damn key would not fit in the keyhole.

''For god's sake!'' He raised his voice in frustration, causing the dog in the flat below to start barking, followed by a faint shout from an angry-sounding woman.

''Sorry, Mrs. O'Brien,'' he said under his breath, but then started giggling, very much enjoying the fact that the dog had woken up the old witch downstairs.

''Oh, come on!'' John tried to get the key in the lock again, but for some reason he could not manage it. He knew that he was a bit tipsy, but he didn't think that he was too drunk to unlock the damn door.

Taking a step back, he stared at the door and chanted in a low voice, ''Opeeeen.'' He started to chuckle at his own silliness, and then he couldn't stop giggling, so had to lean against the doorframe for support. Suddenly the door actually opened, and John was so startled that he jumped back and nearly lost his balance.

''John?'' Anna stared at him from the open doorway, half asleep and clutching a soft pink robe around her body. She had already been sound asleep when Mrs. O'Brien's little monster's barks had woken her up. She had been just drifting off again when she'd heard fumbling and scratching noises at her front door. Was someone trying to break in, she had wondered. She'd crept to the door and peeked through the peephole, only to see her precious John on the other side.

''Anna!'' He beamed at her sudden appearance in front of him. '' _She is gone!_ '' he announced, and without thinking twice, he lifted her up in his embrace, and stepped into what he thought was his flat, unaware that he had confused the two doors.

''John, put me down,'' she giggled, but he didn't seem to have heard her, continuing to wobble slowly down the hall toward the kitchen, with her still in his arms.

'' _She is gone!_ ''

'' _Who_ is gone?'' Anna wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, sensing that he had no intention of setting her down right away.

''Vera, who else? She signed the divorce papers today!'' John looked up and smiled at her, feeling his head spinning. He might be drunk, but he still noticed how gorgeous she was, with her hair mussed and wearing the fluffy robe he had gotten her as a Christmas gift the previous year.

''She is _gone_!'' He raised his voice happily, causing the dog downstairs to start barking again. ''Oh, shut up, you little shit!'' John yelled, resulting in the barking and Anna's giggles growing even louder.

''Have you been drinking?'' she asked, when he finally set her down in the kitchen doorway and walked shakily toward the fridge to get something to eat. He looked so adorable, standing in the middle of her kitchen, wobbling a bit as he stared into her fridge.

''What is this?'' He looked perplexed as he pulled out Anna's tofu cheese, wondering how something like that had gotten into his fridge.

''Where did I buy this crap?'' she heard him say, and had to chuckle at his confused expression.

''John?'' she tried again, as he continued going through the fridge, discovering even more of her healthy snacks. ''John?''

''What?'' He turned around and grinned. She was so beautiful.

''Have you been drinking?'' she repeated her question.

Closing the fridge, he made his way over to her. Leaning closer, he gave her one of the special smiles he reserved just for her, then whispered, ''Can I tell you something?''

''What?'' She stared at him. Even though he was drunk, he was irresistible to her. The stubborn lock of hair that always fell over his forehead, his soulful hazel eyes, his soft lips turned up into a crooked smile...if only he knew how much she wanted him to be hers.

''You are so beautiful,'' he said, and rested one of his arms against the doorframe next to her. ''So, so beautiful.''

''John, you're drunk,'' she replied, starting to feel annoyed with him.

''Maybe I am, but…'' He chuckled. ''…I'm telling the truth.'' He gazed directly into her eyes, which stared back with the same adoration.

''John…'' she whispered and closed her eyes, as he lowered his face to hers. She could smell his cologne mixed with the scent of the peppermints that Robert had offered him to mask his beer breath, and she knew what he was about to do. And maybe it was wrong for them to share their first kiss while he was drunk, but some powerful force had been pulling them together for the last 6 years, and they were both tired of fighting it.

But just as their lips were about to meet for the very first time, John suddenly shifted his head to the side...and the next thing Anna was aware of was John vomiting all over the fluffy pink slippers he'd given her with the robe.

''John! You didn't!'' Anna shrieked, and jumped away from him. But her practical nature soon won out, and within the next few minutes she had helped him to the bathroom to get cleaned up and then to her bedroom, where he collapsed on her bed. He babbled what sounded like an apology to her before falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning John was surprised to wake up in her bed, and did not remember a thing about having almost kissed her or even having been sick. Anna was disappointed that their encounter had ended that way, but given the circumstances it was probably for the best, and she didn't say a word about any of it to John.

They had loved each other silently for such a long time, but both felt they were still so far from making any kind of change in their relationship. Little did they know that just one month from that day, they would be sharing their first kiss and so much more after he gallantly saved her from fainting in an ill-fitting Halloween costume. Patient hearts are often very brave hearts, indeed.

* * *

 **BETA: !annambates! :D thank you!**

 **hello! :D thanks for R &R! and please let us know what you think about this ^^^ :)**


	5. Rdeči čevlji

**#5 – Red shoes**

''OH, JUST GO TO HELL!'' were the first words Anna heard when she opened the front door to the apartment block, after arriving home from work. The Bateses were once again at each other's throats…or at least Vera was at John's and he was keeping his head above water, but just barely. Ever since Vera had insisted on moving back in with her estranged husband, scenes like this had become a daily occurrence.

'' _YOU_ GO TO HELL!'' John's voice echoed through the stairwell, while Anna was making her way upstairs as slowly as possible.

''FUCK YOU, JOHN!'' Vera screamed. ''AND YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT ME SIGNING THE DIVORCE PAPERS! NOT BEFORE I DESTROY YOU!'' she added, storming out of the flat.

''YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT!'' John shouted, following her into the hallway. He was so tired of doing this day after day. All they did was argue, and nothing ever got better. He had to admit to himself that he was barely holding it together at this point.

'' _GOOD!_ '' Vera spat, and was about to continue when she saw Anna making her way up the stairs. ''Oh, look...'' She turned to John with a sly smile. ''Your little _slut_ is home!''

Ever since Anna had moved into the flat opposite John's, Vera had sensed that something was happening between her husband and the young woman. She had no proof, but seeing the way his demeanour brightened every time he saw Anna had been motivation enough for her to move back into the flat.

'' _You take that back!_ '' John was very close to losing control of his temper, when he saw Anna standing behind Vera.

''Or what?'' Vera smirked, and that was enough for John to walk toward her, seething with anger and frustration. ''Come on - hit me! I dare you!'' Vera challenged, well aware that she knew how to bring out the worst in him.

''Mr. Bates!'' Anna finally opened her mouth, seeing John's knuckles turn white as he clenched his hands into fists of rage.

''Come on, show little Miss Smith here what you're capable of!'' Vera hissed at him. John stared directly into her eyes and did not say a thing. He knew what she was trying to make him do, but regardless of how angry he was, he was smarter than that. He took a deep breath.

''Just as I imagined. You are a _pathetic_ excuse for a man, John Bates.'' She cackled into his face. ''You always have been...and you always will be.'' Turning to Anna, she added, ''He's all yours, darling.'' She turned her back on John and, pushing past Anna, flounced down the stairs.

''Sorry you had to see that...again,'' John winced, looking down. He was so ashamed that Anna had once again witnessed the sorry state of his terrible relationship with Vera.

''It's OK,'' she replied, approaching him. She hated Vera from the bottom of her heart for being so cruel to John, when to her he was so perfect.

''Are you all right?'' she asked, when he just stood there quietly, still looking away.

''Ummm...not really,'' he said, finally looking in her direction and smiling shakily. She looked amazing, just as she did every single day.

''Come,'' she said, and started unlocking her flat. They had become close over the last few years, but no matter what Vera had said, there wasn't anything more than friendship between them, even though they both knew - somewhere deep in their hearts - that they wanted more.

''Are you sure? The neighbours are bound to talk...''

She always invited him over to her place when he and Vera had had one of their arguments. She knew that talking calmed him down, and he had to admit to himself that it felt good to discuss his problems with someone who truly understood. But at the same time he was worried about her reputation. He didn't want the neighbours to think that their friendship was the reason for his broken marriage.

''We've been over this a million times already, John - I don't care what people say. You're my friend, and friends are there for each other, in good _and_ bad times. Don't you agree?''

She didn't need to say much at all to help him feel better about himself. He knew she was right, and he also knew better than to argue with her.

''You're right,'' he replied, smiling. It was so easy when he was around her. Everything was ten times better, and he felt so content when they were together.

''Come, then. Let's give the neighbours something to gossip about over their afternoon tea,'' she teased, taking his hand and pulling him into her flat.

 **xXx**

''OK, how about…'' Anna paused to think. She was seated on the couch opposite John, a glass of red wine in her hand. After they had finished talking about what had happened, Anna had asked John to stay for dinner. He knew that he should decline, but at the same time he was unable to say no to anything she asked of him.

''…your first kiss?'' she finally asked. They were both a little tipsy from the wine, so it hadn't taken them long to start talking about personal matters.

''Oh, ask me anything but that!'' John moaned, taking another sip of wine. He loved spending time with her like this. And he absolutely loved the fact that he felt comfortable enough to talk about his private affairs when he was with her. He had learned so much about her during their conversations, but at the same time he knew that he was in trouble. Every time he left her place he could feel himself falling even more deeply in love with her.

''It couldn't be that bad!'' she teased, seeing his discomfort.

''You have no idea.''

''Try me.''

''OK, but you have to promise that you won't laugh.'' He couldn't believe that he was about to tell her about something so embarrassing.

''I promise.'' She giggled, her curiosity piqued. How could it be that bad? Just looking at his lips, she guessed that he was a great kisser.

''Well…'' he began, emptying his glass. Picking up the bottle of wine, he refilled both their glasses before continuing. ''Uh…''

''Yes?'' she prompted, a bit impatiently.

''…the first person I ever kissed was…'' He paused, taking another sip before proceeding.

''Oh, for god's sake! Just tell me!'' She giggled and threw a pillow in his direction.

''All right, all right.'' He chuckled, catching the pillow. ''The first person I ever kissed was…Robert.''

''WHAT?!'' Anna wasn't quite sure she had heard him right. ''You mean Rob? Mary's father?''

''Yes...'' he whispered, his cheeks turning crimson, seeing that she was about to burst into laughter.

''But…'' She covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing. ''Why...and…how?''

''Well as I've told you before, I met Robert at Eton. I was on a scholarship and he...wasn't, obviously. We were in the same drama class and…''

''This is going to be so good!'' Anna grinned.

''Tell me again...why am I even telling you this?'' he smiled, pleased that he was making her laugh. She looked especially beautiful when she had a smile on her face.

''Because we've had some wine, and this is what friends do when they drink - they share embarrassing stories with each other!'' She bit the inside of her cheek, enjoying seeing him blush.

''You must have some really strange friends.'' He chuckled.

''Don't try to change the subject, Mr. Bates,'' she scolded him playfully.

''Yes, yes…where was I?''

''First kiss, Eton, Robert, drama class!'' she quickly reminded him.

''Right. So we were doing a modern version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. He was playing Romeo and...well…I was…''

''Oh, my god! You have got to be kidding me! Were you Juliet!?'' At this point Anna could barely stifle her laughter.

''It was an all-boys school, Anna! We didn't have any girls in class to play her,'' he tried to explain, but it was too late. She was already in hysterics, and her laughter was infectious. ''There was a kiss in the script, and we had to do it!'' he chortled.

''Oh…my god...did…did you wear a skirt and everything?!'' she managed to ask, gasping for air. Just imagining a young John running all over the stage dressed as a woman made her day….and knowing that he and Robert had had to kiss each other…it was too good to be true.

''Yes…'' he nodded. ''…skirt, makeup, wig. I was a proper lady, you know!'' he chuckled.

''I bet you were.'' She burst into laughter again.

''Actually…'' He stood up. ''…give me a minute.''

''Where are you going?'' she asked, when he placed his glass on the coffee table.

''I'll be right back,'' he said, and left her flat.

10 minutes passed and still John had not returned. To tell the truth, Anna was starting to worry that she had hurt his feelings when she'd laughed at him. She was just about to go check on him, when she heard her front door opening, followed by a familiar clicking sound. ''John?''

''I found them!''

''You found what?'' she asked, not having a clue what he was talking about, until he entered the room. ''Oh, my!'' She covered her mouth at the sight of him wearing a pair of glittery red heels.

''Nice, right!?'' he laughed, giving her a little twirl. He had no idea why he and Robert had kept them, and he had even less idea why he still had them after all these years, but the wine had definitely lowered his usual inhibitions.

''They're gorgeous! I want them!'' she laughed.

''Well, get your own pair, because these are mine!'' he joked and sat back down on couch, crossing one leg over the other, so that Anna had a great view of the shoes.

They really were beautiful shoes, and Anna wasn't lying when she said that she wanted a pair for herself.

''You _are_ full of surprises, Mr. Bates!''

''You have no idea.'' He laughed and handed her one of the shoes to look at. They spent the rest of the evening talking about his Eton days, and at the end of it, Anna had to admit to herself that she was even more in love with him than she had been before. He had the best sense of humour, and it felt good to know that she could help him relax.

And John really _was_ full of surprises…because just two months later, when Anna opened her birthday gift from him, she found an identical pair of glittery red heels in her own size.

Luckily nobody else was present, as they would have had a very difficult time explaining why they immediately dissolved into hysterics, both laughing so hard and so long over the gift that their stomachs hurt and their faces were wet with joyful tears.

* * *

 **beta: the one and only ANNAMBATES! I LOOOOOOVE YOU! :)**

 **THANK YOU for R &R! miss-ute loves you very, VERY much! :)**


	6. Taborni ogenj

**#6 – The campfire**

''I'm so happy that you've managed to join us this year,'' Mary said, helping Anna put their tent up. The Crawley family was having their annual camping weekend by the lake at Downton estate, and they were really glad that Anna was able to join them.

''Me, too. I've missed this place.'' Anna stood up and looked around her. It was a sunny Friday afternoon, and she really hoped the weather would stay that way through the whole weekend.

''We've had some really good times, haven't we?'' she giggled, remembering all the fun the two of them had shared during summer holidays over the years.

''We certainly have,'' Mary grinned back.

''They're here!'' Cora's voice got the girls' attention in time for them to see Robert's Land Rover approaching the campsite.

''So, can I expect that you'll be sneaking into Matthew's tent tonight?'' Anna whispered to her best friend, as they walked toward the rest of the family.

''What do you think?'' Mary bit the inside of her cheek. It had taken her forever to convince Robert to let Matthew join them. They had been dating for almost a year now, but her Papa was still having trouble with the idea of his little girl dating, even though Mary was almost 23. After a long talk with Cora, he had finally given in and allowed the young man to accompany them, but under one condition - he had to sleep in his own tent, while Mary would share one with Anna.

''Just make sure that you're back in our tent before dawn.'' Anna laughed, but her face blanched suddenly when she heard a very familiar voice. Looking up, she could see John pulling some camping equipment out of the Land Rover, talking to Cora as he unloaded the boot.

''Mary!'' she hissed, freezing in place while tugging her friend's hand.

''What? What's wrong?''

''What is _he_ doing here?'' Anna nodded in John's direction.

''He's here to spend the weekend with us...?'' Mary smiled coyly, very much aware of Anna's little crush. She had introduced John to Anna about a year ago, and had noticed pretty quickly that her friend had been more than smitten with her father's best mate.

''Why didn't you tell me he'd be here?!'' Anna felt a wave of panic. John Bates was everything she had ever looked for in a man - handsome, charming, funny, kind. But he was also, unfortunately, married, so she knew that she didn't have a chance with him. They were just friends, maybe not even that - maybe just acquaintances - but she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him for the last few months.

''Because I knew a certain best friend of mine would think of an excuse not to come, if she knew that John would be here,'' Mary smirked. ''Oh, come on, Anna - we both know that you like him.''

''Shut up, Mary!'' Anna groaned, looking around, afraid that someone might have heard them. ''He's married!''

''If you want to call that a marriage.'' Mary shrugged her shoulders, knowing that John and Vera's marriage had been over even before it had started, and that he'd be far better off making a fresh start.

''Just promise me that you won't say a word to him about it, OK?!''

''I'll try…'' she grinned.

''I'm serious, Mary! One word and I'll tell Robert about you sleeping in Matthew's tent!''

''You wouldn't dare!'' Mary's smile faded, though, when she saw that Anna wasn't bluffing. ''All right, all right, I won't say a thing. But I still think that you should try to spend some more time with your Mr. Bates this weekend.''

''He is not _my_ Mr. Bates!''

''But I'll bet that you want him to be!''

' _'_ _Mary!_ '' Anna smacked her playfully, and was about to say more when John finally approached them.

''Hello,'' he greeted them sweetly, trying not to show his nerves. He had almost forgotten how to breathe when he had seen that Anna was there, too. Robert hadn't mentioned anything about it to him, and when he saw her, he was really glad that Vera had decided to stay home.

John knew that Vera wasn't keen on him spending time with Anna. She had even thrown a fit when she had found out he had had a coffee with Anna in town a couple of times, even though it had been completely innocent. All they had done was talk about books and similar topics, although both had secretly enjoyed each other's company very much.

''Hi, Uncle John,'' Mary said, giving him a hug. ''No charming Mrs. Bates with you today?''

''No.'' John shook his head and quickly turned his attention to Anna, not wanting to talk about his dreadful wife, especially when she was around.

''Hi,'' he said somewhat awkwardly, sensing Mary's eyes boring into him.

''Hello,'' Anna managed to reply, feeling a warmth rise up inside of her. Oh, get yourself together! she scolded herself, all the while knowing that she could not help the way she felt. He was just so...attractive!

''Mary, can you give me a hand with something, please?'' Matthew called.

''Coming!'' she replied, and hurried over to him before Anna had a chance to stop her, leaving her alone with John.

''Why didn't you say that you were coming?'' Anna asked, trying to mask the awkwardness she felt.

''I didn't know till today,'' he said, smiling. ''Robert asked me this morning, and I really had no reason to say no, even though it was such short notice.''

''And Vera?''

''Oh, you know her. She hates anything even the slightest bit related to nature. That's the reason we've been living in that small flat, and not in my mother's cottage.''

''You have a cottage? I didn't know that.'' Anna smiled and started to walk alongside him toward the middle of the campsite, where Robert was already busy trying to build a campfire.

''You didn't?'' He couldn't help noticing the way her beautiful eyes were shining.

''No!''

''Well, I do have a cottage. It's located at the edge of Downton Village, and has the biggest, greenest back garden! I love that house so much…'' He smiled, distracted for a moment by his many happy memories of the years he'd lived there.

''But Vera doesn't like it, so...'' Stop talking about your stupid wife, you fool! he berated himself. ''Would you like to…I mean, I could show it to you some time…you know, if you want me to…'' he stammered.

''Sure! I've love to see it!'' she exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically. Little did she know that the cottage John was talking about taking her to see would one day become their own home **.**

''All right!'' John beamed. He had only known her for a year, but for some reason he never felt more himself than when he was in her company. ''Are you free on Monday after work...maybe at 4:00?''

''Sure, Monday at 4:00 is good.''

''OK, then.''

''It's a date!'' The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.

''Yes…'' he chuckled, noticing her blushing. ''…it's a date.''

John and Anna stood silently, each lost in thought, neither knowing what to say next.

''John, I can't do this!'' Robert's frustrated voice cut into their moment. They turned to him and realized that he apparently had no idea how to build a fire.

''I'm coming!'' John called to his friend, laughing.

''I need to go and save Robert from himself,'' he whispered to Anna, glancing at his best mate who was staring at pieces of wood, unsure of what to do with them.

''Sure, go on. We can talk more later.''

 **xXx**

After the fire was finally built, they all gathered around. While roasting sausages on sticks, they spent the evening talking about anything and everything, and they all laughed when Robert almost set himself on fire, having rested his leg a little too close to the flame. Before they knew it, it was late and time to say good night.

While cleaning and putting the fire out, Anna noticed John walking nervously up and down the nearby pier. He was talking on his phone, and by his agitated expression and the way his hands were flailing, she knew that he was upset and guessed that he was talking to Vera. She had hoped that they might be able to spend some more time together after the Crawleys retired to their tents, but she didn't want to disturb him. In the end, she joined Mary in their tent, without even saying good night to him.

''Are you OK?'' Mary asked, when Anna finally made herself comfortable in her sleeping bag next to her.

''Sure, I'm just a little chilly,'' she replied. It was going to be a cold night, she thought to herself, pulling the edge of the sleeping bag over her nose.

''So, why don't you ask John to warm you up, hmm?'' Mary teased.

''Maaary!'' Anna nudged her in the ribs, and laughed. ''Why are you still here anyway? I thought you'd be spending the night with Matthew.''

''I will. I just need to wait for Papa to fall asleep," she explained, grinning. "And knowing him, I'll be on my way in just a few minutes.''

''Mary?'' Anna whispered into the dark, a few moments later.

''What? **''**

''Is…is John all right? I mean, why is he still with Vera, if their marriage is dead, as you say it is?''

''I don't know.'' Mary turned onto her side and looked at her friend. ''But I think it has something to do with him being too good and honourable a man. They've been together since secondary school, and John is the kind of guy who always puts everybody else's needs before his own, whether they deserve it or not.''

''I hate her,'' Anna finally whispered, so softly that she wasn't sure whether she'd actually said it out loud. She felt so angry at Vera. She had only met her a couple of times, but it had been enough for her to know that the woman was a nasty piece of work. It broke her heart to think of a sweet, thoughtful, caring person like John being tied to someone who seemed so selfish and incapable of kindness.

''Welcome to the club,'' Mary said. She looked at her phone to check the time. ''All right, I'm going now!'' she whispered in excitement. ''Wish me luck!''

''Good luck!'' Anna smiled, waiting for Mary to zip the tent back up behind her, before making herself comfortable again. Thinking about John, as she had each night for the last couple of months, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

 **xXx**

It was some time past one in the morning when Anna woke up. Her legs were icy, and she could feel her body shivering. It was freezing! Lighting a small lantern, she looked around the tent in hopes of finding an extra blanket, but she didn't see one. If there had been an extra, Mary must have taken it with her, when she had slipped off to Matthew's tent.

''Fantastic,'' Anna whispered, trying to figure out what to do next. She hadn't been expecting it to be so bloody cold, so the only nightwear she had packed was her thin summer pyjamas. She pulled the sleeping bag a little closer, trying to get warm.

''To hell with it!'' she finally exclaimed, standing up, determined to wake Mary and get that extra blanket back. Clutching the sleeping bag around her, she slowly made her way toward Matthew and Mary's tent, only to hear the rustle of fabric and soft giggles from inside.

''Oh, for god's sake, Mary!'' she muttered under her breath. What was she supposed to do now!?

Looking around the camp, she could heard loud snoring coming out of Robert and Cora's tent, and she didn't have the heart to wake up Edith and Sybil. In the end, the only person she knew she could ask for help was John, whose small tent was on the other side of the campfire. She really didn't want to disturb him, and she tried to think of reasons not to ask him, but in the end her freezing legs won out. As quietly as she was able, she approached his tent and called his name softly.

''John? ...John?''

''Anna?'' he asked, confused, not really sure whether he was hearing her real voice or just dreaming of her calling for him, as he seemed to have done with alarming frequency in recent months.

''Yes, it's me.''

''What's going on?'' he asked, unzipping his tent. ''Is everything all right?!'' Suddenly he noticed that she was shaking. ''My god, you're freezing! Come here!'' And before she knew it, he was pulling her inside of his tent.

''No…yes…ummm...I mean, do you by any chance have an extra blanket? Mary took ours and…well, I was going to try to get it back, but she and Matthew are a little...busy...at the moment.'' She giggled in embarrassment, then stopped and stared at him. His lower body was still tucked into the sleeping bag, but he was wearing a simple V-neck t-shirt, and just seeing a tiny bit of his chest hair poking out of the collar made her feel a little warm.

''Oh.'' He laughed, as she sat down next to him. ''I do hope that Robert doesn't find out about that,'' he joked, while looking for something to help warm her up.

''Ye-…yes…me, too,'' she stuttered, her teeth chattering in the cold.

He felt so powerless, looking at her freezing, with no blanket that he could lend her. At that moment, he had an idea.

''Anna?''

''What?'' She looked up hopefully, but saw that he was empty-handed. ''You don't have a blanket, either?'' she moaned, disappointed. How would she survive the night in these temperatures!?

''No, no blanket, but…I have an idea,'' he said carefully, hoping that she wouldn't be offended by it.

''I'll take it!''

''But you don't even know what it is,'' he chuckled.

''Will it make me warmer?''

''Yes, but…''

''Sold!'' she smiled at him, still shivering.

''OK, then.'' He smiled tentatively, before slowly unzipping his sleeping bag and pulling it open. He knew that he was walking on thin ice here, but he couldn't think of any other way he could help her.

''Oh…'' Anna softly gasped, when she finally understood what he was suggesting. Was he really offering to warm her with his own body heat? ''Ummm…''

''You don't have to, if you feel uncomfortable…'' he said, giving her a chance to turn him down, but secretly hoping that she wouldn't.

''No, no.'' She shook her head. Uncomfortable?! If he only knew the truth! ''We are friends, and friends help each other, don't they?''

''They do. And I promise that I'll behave like a gentleman,'' he smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and it helped. In the next moment she removed her sleeping bag from her shoulders and slipped in next to him, instantly feeling the warmth of his body against hers.

''Good god!'' John jumped in surprise, when her cold feet came in contact with his.

''Sorry.'' She giggled softly, trying to make herself comfortable without touching him too much.

''Is this all right?'' she asked, when she finally stopped moving. She was lying on her side, facing him, and had no idea where to rest her hands.

''Almost. May I?'' he asked, gently slipping one hand around her waist and pulling her closer, so that he could zip upthe sleeping bag. This resulted in Anna's body being fully pressed against his, which should have felt strange, but for some reason it didn't. It felt nice…more than nice. It felt _wonderful_ , and he had to do his best not to think about how close she was. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, her legs tangled between his. It was almost too much for him to handle.

''Better?'' He looked down and smiled nervously.

''Ummm...yes, thank you,'' she managed to reply, unable to think of what else to say, still overwhelmed at having him so close to her. The lack of space forced her to rest her head on his chest, and she could not believe how good he smelled. My god, how in the world was she going to survive this night?! she thought to herself, not aware that he was asking himself the very same question. His nose was buried in her soft golden hair, and he was trying to somehow prevent his body from responding to her close proximity. He was searching for something to say, when she beat him to it.

''Good night, John.''

''Good night, Anna,'' he replied softly, smiling to himself. They lay in complete silence for a couple of minutes, neither of them having any idea what more they could say. Gradually he felt her breathing become slow and steady against his chest.

Tightening his arms around her, he gently brought her even closer and drifted off to sleep with a smile…a joyful, contented look that stayed on his face all night, but quickly vanished when Robert caught them sound asleep and still bundled together, nose-to-nose, the next morning.

* * *

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	7. Kocka

**#7 – The cube**

John had never been a heavy sleeper. He was always up before dawn, but today was different. A few early autumn sunrays played on his sleeping face, but their warmth wasn't the reason for his huge smile. That was all Anna's doing.

Even before he opened his eyes, he could feel her warm, bare skin pressed against his, her head safely tucked under his chin, her palms spread on his chest. He was in heaven, a heaven he had dreamt about from the moment he had first laid eyes on her.

He shifted slightly in place and turned to look at her. Anna was still sound asleep, but he could swear he saw a faint smile on her pretty face. Last night had been amazing, he thought to himself, his hand drifting from her hip to her waist and gently pulling her closer, if that was even possible. Seeing their Halloween costumes strewn all over the guest room floor, he chuckled, remembering just what had led them to this moment. She had kissed him - Anna Smith had actually kissed him. And she had done much more than that, he thought, burrowing his nose in her golden hair, slowly inhaling its scent. She smelt like lavender and honey all at the same time and that, combined with her closeness, almost made him lose himself all over again.

Six years. That's how long it had taken them to get to this point. And my god, it had been worth the wait. If he had known that the Braveheart costume would have such an effect on her, he would have found a reason to wear it long ago. She had literally been all over him, her arms holding onto his bare, sweaty back, her strong legs pinning him down, her tender lips sucking on his skin, her soft moans lost in his mouth… Just thinking about it now, hours later, made him feel dizzy.

The only thing that scared him was the possibility that she might wake up and regret everything. He knew that he wasn't strong enough to handle that. He couldn't go back to just being friends, not after a night like last night. This had been more than just sex; it had to be more.

They had been friends for a long time, but deep down he had always sensed that they shared something deeper. From the moment he had set eyes on her all those years ago, standing in the middle of the Crawleys' garden, he had known that she was special. At first he had tried not to think about it. He had still been married to Vera then, and it had felt wrong to think about her as anything other than a friend. But as the months and years passed, they had grown extremely close, and the moment she had moved to the flat across from his, he had known that he was in big trouble.

''Stop.'' Anna's sleepy voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.

''What?'' he chuckled, slowly turning his head to look at her. Her eyes were still closed, but she was definitely smiling.

''Stop,'' she repeated, and cuddled closer to him.

''I'm not doing anything,'' he replied, having no idea what she was talking about.

''Yes, you are,'' she said lightly, burying her fingers in his chest hair. ''Stop brooding and let me sleep a little longer.''

''I wasn't brooding...'' he protested, wondering how she could know him so well.

''Liar.'' She giggled, and before he knew it, he felt her mouth tenderly sucking the skin on his neck. He knew that he was probably covered in dozens of tiny love marks after last night, but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered when he was with her. Tilting his head to the side, he gave her even more space to continue what she was doing.

''Anna...'' he moaned, when she gently bit him.

''What?'' she asked, and he could feel her smile on his skin.

''Don't you want to know what I was brooding about?'' he asked, slowly moving his hand from her waist down over one of her buttocks.

''I already know.''

''Oh, really?''

''Mhm,'' she purred, as he gently traced his long fingers down her thigh and looped them under her knee, pulling her leg slightly over his hip.

''Care to share?''

Finally opening her eyes, she looked up and saw him grinning back at her. Trailing a finger from his ear to his mouth, she ran her thumb softly over his lips.

''You've just spent the last few minutes brooding about what happened last night. And I know you well enough to know that you're full of doubts right now. But you shouldn't be.'' She smiled. ''I've wanted this to happen since the night that I spent in your tent five years ago, John.''

''What?''

''You don't remember?'' she teased, well aware that he knew exactly which night she was referring to. They had spent the night tucked together in his small sleeping bag, John trying to keep her warm on that freezing night.

''How could I forget...'' He smiled, thinking back. ''Do you realize how hard it was for me not to kiss you right then and there?''

''Yes…yes, I do. It was the same for me,'' she whispered, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. It didn't take him long to deepen the kiss, and before she knew it, he had pulled her on top of him, her legs resting around his hips. ''Why do you think I pretended to fall asleep so quickly?'' she asked, when he pulled away from her mouth.

''You've got to be kidding!'' he chuckled. ''You were _pretending_?''

''Well, yeah! What else should I have done? I'd had the biggest crush on you for months, and then - all of a sudden - there I was...in your arms, our legs tangled… All I wanted was a blanket, but nooo - you had to be all sweet and adorable and perfect, offering your own body heat to save me from freezing!'' she grinned, resting her chin on his chest and staring into his eyes.

''Truth be told…'' He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. ''…I did have an extra blanket with me that night,'' he confessed, smiling sheepishly. "I realized it after you were already in the sleeping bag with me."

''What?!'' She propped herself up on her elbow, giving him a nice view of her bare chest. ''John Bates! You scoundrel! You tricked me!'' she smacked him with a giggle, making him laugh.

''Yes, I guess I did,'' he admitted, "But it was wonderful...at least until Robert found us together in the sleeping bag the next morning." They both smiled at the memory.

John pulled her back down, closing the gap between them. He could feel her breasts pressed against his chest, which felt heavenly and just made him bolder. He knew that she wasn't really angry with him. Maybe he had been a tiny bit selfish that night, but he really hadn't been able to help himself. There had been something pulling them together from the time they had met, and while he'd succeeded in maintaining appropriate boundaries between them most of the time, when she'd appeared that night at his tent, he had simply been too weak to resist.

Feeling her gently grinding on him, it took all the strength he had to pull away from her mouth, even briefly.

''Just a sec,'' he whispered. Reaching for his wallet on the nightstand, he pulled out a condom. But before he'd had a chance to even open the package, Anna had grabbed it out of his hand, torn the package open with her teeth, and then rolled it down over his hardness.

''Come here...'' he groaned, and then they both gasped as she joined them.

''Good god!'' he hissed at the feeling of her warmth all around him.

''John?'' She rested her palms on his chest, steadying herself.

''What?''

''Can I tell you something? Something I forgot to tell you yesterday?''

''Can it wait?'' He ran his palms down his face, trying to control his breathing. It felt amazing being so deep inside of her, and he was having trouble thinking clearly.

''No, it can't,'' she smiled, and gently rolled her hips against him, sucking the air right out of his lungs.

''Annaa…'' John gasped, then chuckled weakly. ''OK, tell me. But I beg you…make it quick,'' he said, looking directly into her eyes.

''I love you,'' she said simply.

''What?'' He wasn't sure that he had heard her correctly.

' _'_ _I love you_ ,'' she repeated, a soft smile lighting her face. It felt so good to finally say the words out loud.

Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Gently kissing the hollow of her throat, he looked up and smiled tenderly. ''And I love you.''

She didn't reply; the moment was too perfect to ruin it by speaking. Locking her hands around his neck, she pulled him closer and moved her lips over his. As their kisses became more intense, John felt her hips finally starting to move. Lowering his hands down her back, he rested them on her buttocks, helping her create the perfect rhythm between them. As Anna slowly rode him, John tried to kiss every inch of her upper body that he could reach. Having her so close to him was perfection, he thought to himself. She buried her head into his neck, soft moans escaping her lips while she begged him for more.

As he began lowering his hand between them, his brain vaguely registered a series of light knocks, followed immediately by the door opening and a very familiar voice filling the room.

''I've done it!'' Robert exclaimed cheerfully.

Both Anna and John froze.

''I told you that I could do it, John! Loo-…'' he continued, finally looking up from whatever he was holding in his hands.

''Robert!'' John yelled, pulling the covers up, trying to quickly cover Anna's upper body.

''Oh, my god!'' Robert froze, his eyes wide. ''Wha-...?'' he began, and then he finally processed what he was seeing.

''Robert! Turn around, for god's sake!'' John hissed, seeing his friend still staring at them in shock.

''Oh, yes…umm…of course…'' Robert finally turned around to face the wall. ''I'm sorry, I just thought…umm...sorry…'''

''What are you doing here so early anyway!?'' John shouted, with Anna still sitting on top of him, trying very hard not to laugh.

''Ummm…I just wanted to…umm…I...umm...solved your Rubik's cube...'' he offered weakly, still facing the wall. He raised his left hand in the air to display the finished puzzle.

For weeks now, John had been teasing him about not being able to solve the cube. He had tried again and again, but just couldn't do it. Yesterday, just before the Halloween party, he had gotten fed up and stopped by the toy shop to buy a new, already-solved cube, and as soon as he'd gotten up this morning he had been excited to show his friend that he had "completed" it.

''What?!'' John raised his voice, having no idea why this was so important so early in the morning.

''Is that Anna with you...or…?'' Robert ventured, still confused about what he had just seen.

''Does it matter?! Just leave!'' John bellowed, his arms still wrapped around Anna, holding her close. Of all the mornings that Robert could have barged into the guest room, his best mate had had to choose today. Why hadn't he remembered to lock the door? My god, this could not get more embarrassing than it already was, he thought to himself. But how wrong he was.

''Papa, have you seen…oh, my god! Anna!''

Peeking through the curtain of her hair, Anna could see Mary standing by her father, her mouth hanging open.

''So _this_ is where you disappeared to yesterday evening!'' Mary folded her arms on her chest, smirking. ''You little minx!''

''GET OUT!'' John threw one of the pillows in Robert and Mary's direction.

''But…'' Mary began, trying to stifle a giggle, but John cut her off.

'' _OUT!_ ''

''Oh, don't be such a grumpy old man,'' Mary scolded, and turned to leave the room. ''You know she'll tell me all about this later, anyway.''

''Take Robert with you, please!?'' John ordered, seeing his best friend still facing the wall, not moving or saying a thing.

''Come along, Papa.'' Mary took her father by the hand and pulled him out of the room. ''Have fun, you two!'' she sang out, closing the door behind them.

''Oh, my god!'' John exhaled, lowering himself down onto the mattress. ''I'm _so_ sorry...'' he began, but stopped when he heard Anna's giggles filling the room. ''So you think this is funny...?'' he asked tentatively, relaxing a little when he saw that she wasn't upset.

''Yes...I do.'' She laughed harder. Her best friend and her best friend's father had just walked in on them making love, but for some reason it didn't bother her. She had wanted this with John for so long that all she felt was happiness, even though she knew that Mary would tease her and probe for details later, over their morning coffee.

''Really?'' he asked seriously, and rolled both of them over so that she was now lying on her back, with him still very hard inside of her. She nodded and smiled.

He breathed a sigh of relief. ''Now...where were we...?'' he asked with a grin, and covered her lips with his. She giggled into his mouth, but soon passion overtook them once again and they picked up right where they had left off.

After years of loneliness and misery, John was finally happy, and seeing Anna just as happy to be with him made him feel pure joy. They were together and in love, and nothing - not even Robert and Mary barging into their private moment - could ruin it for them.

* * *

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	8. Piknik

**#8 – The picnic**

''How many times must I tell you, I was _not_ flirting with her!'' John exhaled in frustration, closing the car door after him.

''Yes, you were!'' Vera hissed, her eyes narrowed, as he made his way around the car to open the door for her.

''How can you call 'Excuse me, can you please tell me where the toilets are?' flirting?''

''It's the _way_ you said it,'' she fumed, slamming the car door behind her.

''Good god, Vera, can we please not do this today?'' Listening to his wife go on and on about things that had never really happened exhausted him. Ever since they had been together, Vera Bates had attempted to control everything in his life - what he did and said, where he went, and even with whom. She had tried to keep him completely under her thumb, and in the beginning he had been too smitten by her to do anything about it. Now it was too late.

''Why? Are you afraid your stupid little friends will finally find out that you're sleeping around?'' Violet, the mother of John's best friend, Robert, was turning 60 today. And since she didn't want a big party, her family had decided to organize a picnic in the gardens of their estate, Downton Abbey.

''Not that again!'' John looked at her. ''I've told you a million times already. There is nothing going on between Mrs. Johnson and me.''

''Mhm, keep telling yourself that,'' she snickered, and continued walking toward the back of the house.

''Vera, please - can we just…'' John said, pulling her by the hand. He just wanted to ask - maybe even beg - her to behave nicely at the picnic, but as always she took it to another level.

''Let go of me!'' she snapped, jerking her hand out of his. ''And don't you _dare_ touch me like that again!''

''I just want-…''

''I don't give a damn what you want.'' She glared at him. ''I don't even know why I'm here.''

''Because Violet was kind enough to…'' John began, but he knew it was hopeless. His wife always said and did what she wanted, and didn't care who got hurt in the process. In the end, he had always taken the blame for her actions, just to get some peace in his life. He was well aware that she didn't like the Crawleys. They had always rubbed her the wrong way, primarily because she knew that the whole family adored him.

''I don't even _like_ the old witch. Why should I care how I behave at her stupid birthday picnic, with all her stupid family and friends?'' Vera grumbled, ignoring John and heading in the direction of the gardens.

''Are you coming or not?'' she demanded, when she noticed he wasn't right behind her.

''Yes, dear.'' John exhaled and started trailing behind his wife, hoping that she wouldn't make another scene in front of the Crawleys.

 **xXx**

''Do you need any help?'' John asked, walking toward Robert, who was in charge of the barbeque.

''No, I'm good, thanks.'' Robert smiled as he flipped a couple of burgers over. ''Are you all right?''

''Sure. Why wouldn't I be?'' he tried to smile.

''I don't know. Maybe because a certain Mrs. Bates just stormed out of the house and drove off, without saying goodbye?''

''Oh, you saw that?'' John sipped his beer. It had only been two hours since they had arrived at the picnic. Vera had begun saying that she wanted to leave almost as soon as they had arrived. She had been bored, and had complained that she was not in the mood to make small talk with " _these people_." But since it had been weeks since he had spent any time at all with his friends, John had told her that he wasn't ready to go home yet. In the end, she had stormed off and driven away in a rage, leaving him behind.

''Saw...heard...'' Robert chuckled sadly.

''Sorry about…''

''Oh, John - when are you going to stop apologising for her behaviour? She's a bitch! And you and I both know that you should have divorced her years ago.'' Robert turned, waving a spatula in front of John's face for emphasis.

''I know, I know.'' He didn't mind Robert talking about his wife that way. In fact, he agreed with him - she was a nasty piece of work, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to continue to live like this indefinitely.

''So do something, for god's sake! You owe it to yourself. You deserve a better life!''

''Robert, can we please not talk about my marriage today...please.'' John exhaled, well aware that Robert was right, but he really wasn't in the mood to discuss it. He just wanted to spend the rest of the day in his friends' company, trying not to think about what he would have to face when he went home in the evening. Vera would be furious that he hadn't wanted to go home with her, and it wouldn't be pretty.

''But Jo-…'' Robert continued, but his oldest daughter's voice interrupted him.

''Papa! Anna is here!''

''Hi Anna.'' Robert waved in the girls' direction.

''Who is An-…?'' John began, but his voice faded when he turned and saw her. She was wearing a yellow summer dress with white polka dots, black sunglasses resting on top of her long blonde hair, which bounced freely as she walked toward him and Robert, Mary at her side. She was petite, but my god - her legs seemed to go on forever. John knew he was staring, but he couldn't help himself. She was stunning.

''Hello, Mr. Crawley,'' Anna greeted Robert, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

''Anna, how many times must I tell you? Please call me Robert.''

''I'll try.'' She smiled and turned her attention to the man standing next to her best friend's dad.

''Uncle John, this is my friend, Anna Smith,'' Mary said. "Anna, this is my dad's friend, John."

''Hello,'' Anna said sweetly, but it was as if John had forgotten how to speak. Little did he know that she had been surreptitiously checking him out from the moment she had arrived at the party, 10 minutes earlier. Of course, this had not gone unnoticed by Mary, who'd had to practically drag her to meet him.

''John? Is everything all right?'' Mary asked, attempting to stifle a laugh. She had known him since she was a little girl and, well aware that his marriage was a complete disaster, she noticed the way he had been staring at her friend.

''John!'' Robert whispered, nudging him in the ribs. Finally John realized that he needed to say something.

''Wh-, ummm…hi…hi, I'm Jo-, John,'' he stammered, and clumsily offered his hand.

''Hi, I'm Anna. Nice to meet you.'' She shook his hand, and immediately felt butterflies in her stomach. Mary had shown her some photos with John in them years ago, but he looked even more handsome in person.

''Nice to meet you, too,'' John smiled, still shaking her hand. What was happening? he asked himself. Just looking at her, he felt his heart beat quicken.

''Mary, would you please help me get these plates onto the tables? I believe our guests are getting hungry,'' Robert said, handing her a stack of plates. Just as Mary had, he was noticing John's strange behaviour. There was almost a 10-year difference between his best friend and Anna, but if she might be the answer to John's problems, he was all for it.

''Sure.'' Mary took the plates and followed her father toward the picnic tables, deliberately ignoring Anna's look that was silently begging her not to leave her alone with John.

It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable with him; on the contrary, she felt inexplicably drawn to him. But Anna had felt something move inside her the moment their eyes had locked, something that she didn't quite understand but that made her feel as if her life had shifted slightly. She felt off-balance, and the feeling was disconcerting.

Little did they know that this casual, innocent meeting would end up changing both of their lives in ways neither could have imagined. It was the seed of a new future; it was the beginning of _them_.

* * *

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	9. 8 krogla

**#9 – The 8 ball**

''Thank you for the ride, Miss Smith,'' John said, smiling warmly, when Anna parked her small car in front of his and Vera's apartment building.

Since his "lovely" wife had left him at the picnic, Anna had given him a ride back to Downton Village on her way from the Crawleys'. He knew that he probably should have declined the offer, knowing Vera's jealous nature. But after Mary and Robert had left them together while they set the tables for lunch, somehow John and Anna had immediately clicked. They had enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the day, and when the party ended, accepting a ride home from her had felt like the most natural thing in the world.

''You're welcome.'' She turned to look at him while he undid his seat belt. He really was a lot more handsome in person than in photos she had seen, she thought to herself. And the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled made her feel all tingly inside.

''Here - let me help with petrol.'' John pulled his wallet of out of his back pocket.

''No, no,'' she protested, but he had already pulled out a few pounds.

''Please take it. It's the least I can do, since you were all but forced to give a lift to someone you had never set eyes on until today.'' He chuckled, but it was true. Robert had asked her if she would give him a ride home, and while she could have said no, John thought that she had likely felt obligated.

''I wasn't forced,'' she scolded him lightly, and was about to say something a little more flirtatious, when she bit her tongue just in time. For god's sake...control yourself, Anna, she thought, blushing slightly.

''It was my pleasure, truly,'' she said finally, and looked him directly in the eye. There wasn't a chance that she would take his money. While it was true that they had just met today, they had spent hours talking about anything and everything, just relaxing and enjoying each other's company and almost forgetting that they were there to celebrate Violet's birthday with the Crawleys. So John already felt like a friend to her.

''Are you sure?'' he asked again, but he could see that he was fighting a losing battle.

''Completely.''

''All right - thank you. I'll have to find another way to express my gratitude some time in the near future.'' He put his wallet away, got out of the car and, just as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard her pipe up, ''Can't wait to find out how!''

 **xXx**

Practically skipping up the stairs to his flat, John realised he had a giddy smile on his face. He had thought that the day would turn into a complete disaster, but he had been wrong. He had only spent half a day in her company, but for some reason he felt more like himself than he had in a very long time. Anna Smith wasn't just drop dead gorgeous, she was also smart, funny, and the nicest person to be around. She was simply…

''Why are you so late?!'' His wife's voice, from the doorway of their flat, interrupted his line of thought. It wasn't late - just past 8:00 p.m. - but as always, she had found something to argue about.

''Ve-…'' John began, looking up, but she cut him off.

''Who drove you home?!'' She had seen an unfamiliar car dropping him off in front of their building, and her inner alarm system was on high alert.

''Just a friend of the Crawleys. She…''

'' _She?_ '' Vera raised her voice and blocked him from entering the flat.

''Vera, please. It's been a long day, I'm tired, and I'm definitely not in the mood for this right now.'' John sighed, sensing where this conversation was headed.

''Oh, really? I bet you were in the mood for _her_.'' She crossed her arms on her chest and glared.

''Good god, Vera! _You_ were the one who left me stranded at the party! Robert asked Miss Smith to give me a ride home because she was travelling in this direction, and she was kind enough to do so, OK?!'' John raised his voice. He knew he should keep his temper in check, but sometimes Vera was just too much to take.

''Don't yell at me!'' she shouted.

''I'm not yelling at you.'' John took a deep breath and looked at her. ''I'm just trying to explain…''

''I don't care what you're trying to do!'' she hissed, and turned away. ''And the next time you have the nerve to fuck someone who isn't me, you should at least stay the night at hers. I don't need some whore's perfume all over my bedsheets. Good night!'' She slammed the door in his face.

''Vera, open the door!'' John said, as he heard the lock click into place.

''NO!''

''Vera, open the fucking door!'' he repeated, once again raising his voice.

''GO TO HELL!''

'' _Vera_!'' He banged on the door in frustration.

''Go away or I'll ring the police!'' was her only response, and he knew she wasn't kidding. One of her many lovers was a police officer, and he knew that no good would come of it, if she summoned him.

Leaning his forehead against the door, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He knew her well enough to realise that she wasn't about to unlock the door any time soon. It wasn't the first time she had accused him of cheating and then locked him out of the flat. If he really wanted to, he could unlock the door himself; he had a key. But was it worth enduring the scene that was sure to follow, just for a chance to possibly be allowed to sleep on the settee?

''Oh, to hell with it,'' he said under his breath, and went downstairs and out into the night. Walking down the street, he knew exactly where was he going to stay. When his mother had died a couple of years ago and left him her little cottage at the edge of the village, the first thing John had done was to transfer ownership to Robert's name. He'd known for a long time that at some point he and Vera would end things, and he hadn't wanted to take any chance of her getting her hands on the only thing his mother had left him, when they eventually divided their assets as part of a divorce.

Making his way across the village, he spotted a familiar car parked in front of the pub. It was definitely _hers_ , he thought, and his face brightened. He knew that he shouldn't stop; he had no reason to. And he definitely had no chance with someone like Anna - she was too young, too perfect for someone like him, not to mention the fact that he was married, even if in name only.

But in the end something made him turn and walk up to the entrance. Pushing the door open, he saw a few people sitting at tables, perhaps having a late dinner and catching up with friends, but he didn't see her anywhere. Maybe the car wasn't hers after all, he speculated, until he turned his attention to the bar. Anna was sitting at the far end, playing with the straw in her drink, looking like she was waiting for someone.

''John, just turn around and go," he thought, but once again found himself pulled in her direction.

''Hello,'' he said gently, as he approached the bar.

''Oh, hello!'' Her eyes lit up in surprise.

''Do you mind?'' he blurted out before he could stop himself, and nodded to the empty stool next to her.

''Not at all.'' She was actually waiting for someone, but the moment she laid her eyes on John, her date was the last thing on her mind.

Making himself comfortable next to her, he rested his arms on the counter and turned to her. ''So, Miss Smith - what can I get you?''

''Noth-…''

''Oh, no, no. You wouldn't take money for petrol, so at least let me buy you a drink.'' He chuckled and turned to the bartender. ''Hey, William - a pint for me, and…'' He looked back at Anna, his soft eyes radiating warmth and kindness.

''Ummm…'' Oh, what the hell, one beer won't kill anyone, she decided. ''…the same, please.''

John caught her eye and smiled, before turning back to William. ''…and one for the lady.''

''So, what brings you here?'' Anna asked, pushing her soft drink away to make space for the pints that William had just set down. "I thought you were going home."

''My wife,'' he said, looking down. He didn't really want to talk about Vera, but couldn't bring himself to lie.

''Oh,'' she replied, furrowing her brow. ''Are you OK?''

''I will be...'' He took his first sip. ''...when I divorce her.''

He was obviously trying to joke, but she could see the pain in his eyes. She had to admit to herself that she was curious about his situation, but didn't want to pry.

''Do you want to talk about it?'' Anna asked tentatively. If he wouldn't tell her, she knew that Mary would, if she asked. Her friend had mentioned something about his wife being crazy, but maybe the situation was even worse than she had imagined.

''No, not really.'' He smiled politely, not wanting to bore her with his pathetic life. ''But thank you for asking.''

''Sure.'' She took another sip of her drink. Placing the glass back on the counter, she heard him stifle a laugh.

''What?'' she chuckled, having no idea what was so funny.

''Umm, you…'' he smirked again.

''What?''

''You have a little something…'' He pointed to his own upper lip, trying to indicate that she had some beer foam on her face.

''Oh, god,'' she said quickly, blushing, and wiped it off with her hand. ''Sorry,'' she giggled.

''No need to apologise; you look adorable, regardless,'' John grinned, but froze when he realised what he had just said. ''Umm, do yo-, do you know how to play pool?'' he added quickly, hoping she hadn't noticed his cheeks colouring.

''Not really,'' she replied, as calmly as she was able. Was he flirting with her?

''Come.'' He tossed a few pounds on the counter to cover their drinks, took both of their pints, and led her to the pool table in the back of the pub.

 **xXx**

After explaining the basic rules of the game, John placed all of the balls into the triangular rack.

''Would you like to break them?'' he asked, and offered one of the cue sticks to her.

''Me? I don't even know how to hold this thing properly,'' she said.

''Here. Let me show you,'' he offered. ''Take the cue in your hands.''

''OK...''

''No…'' he chuckled, amused, when he saw the awkward way she was holding it. He walked over and stepped behind her, gently asking, ''May I?''

He was so close that she could smell his cologne.

''Mhm,'' she nodded, unable to say more.

''All right.'' He took a deep breath. It hadn't been his plan to flirt with her; he knew it was wrong. But there was something about her that he could not resist. ''First, stand up straight.''

''OK.'' She straightened up. ''Now what?''

''Here,'' he said, and helped her position her arms correctly and set the cue between her fingers.

''Like this?'' She tilted her head to the side and looked at him.

''Yes.''

''And now?''

''Now you lean in…'' As she followed his instructions, he could not help but lower his gaze to her behind. In the next moment he could feel her whole body lean down, brushing against him for just a second. John, _what the hell are you doing_ , he scolded himself, but it was no use. The electricity he felt at her touch was undeniable. But was she doing it on purpose? Or was it all in his head?

Taking another deep breath, he leaned just a bit closer to her and added, ''…now aim and…''

''Anna?'' A deep voice from behind made both of them look up from the table.

''Tony?'' Anna straightened up, while John took a step away from her. Who was this Tony fellow, he wondered, running his eyes over the young blond man who stood there staring at them.

''What's going on here?'' the man challenged, looking directly into John's eyes.

''We're just playing pool,'' Anna said simply, not wanting Tony to make a scene.

''Oh, really?'' He took another step closer to them and gave John a steely look. ''She's taken, _old man_.''

''Tony…'' Anna replied quickly, but John was quicker.

''Look, calm down a bit...we were just...'' he began.

'' _Calm down?_ You're hitting on my girl and you want me to be _calm_?'' The man's voice was getting louder and angrier, and if John hadn't seen Anna's eyes begging him not to say anything more, he would have definitely let the young man know what he thought of him.

''Are you OK?'' he asked Anna.

''Yes,'' she nodded thankfully. She knew that Tony was the jealous type, and she didn't want John getting into trouble because of her.

''All right,'' John said, moving away reluctantly, his eyes still glued to Tony. ''I'll say goodbye, then.''

''Yes, you'd better,'' Tony cut in, but John pretended he hadn't heard him.

''Bye.'' Anna smiled weakly. ''And thanks for the drink.''

''Sure.'' Their eyes connected for a moment, then he looked pointedly at the man who stood with his arm possessively around her shoulders, before turning and leaving the pub.

With John out of the picture, Tony turned to Anna and said, ''We'll talk about this _later_.'' She winced inside, and could only hope that he'd forget about it after a few drinks.

''Give me your handbag. I need to buy myself a drink,'' he added harshly.

''Here.'' She handed it to him quietly, and he pulled out some money.

''I won't be a minute.'' He planted a wet kiss on her lips and grinned.

''Sure.'' He didn't seem to notice that her smile didn't reach her eyes.

As he turned away to walk toward the bar, Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Why couldn't he have been late like he always was? All she'd wanted was to spend a few more minutes in John's company.

''Me and my luck,'' she whispered under her breath, before she leaned down and, with one effortless and expertly-centred shot, broke the rack apart.

* * *

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	10. Lak

**#10 – Polish**

''Anna, you know I'd love to come, but I don't know if I can find a babysitter on such short notice,'' Gwen said, sitting on the couch next to her friend in John and Anna's cosy sitting room.

''Are you sure? What about your mother?''

One of their girlfriends was getting married in a few weeks, and both Anna and Gwen had been invited to the hen party on Friday. But because Gwen had been in Ireland for several weeks with her family, she had gotten her invitation a little too late to find an overnight babysitter for her little Emma.

''No, she's still in London. Plus my John had to stay in Dublin for a weekend conference, so I'm on my own until Monday,'' Gwen replied. It had been months since she had gotten together with her friends and, to be honest, she selfishly loved the idea of spending a Friday night with them, just like in the old days.

''How about we…'' Anna began, when they both heard the front door open.

''Honey, I'm home!'' Her husband's cheerful voice echoed though the hall.

''We're in here,'' Anna called, and smiled at Gwen, who grinned back. After the whole mess with Tony and watching Anna pine over John for years, she was happy that the two of them had finally found their happy ending.

''We? Who are we?'' John asked, stepping into the room. ''Gwen! Hello!'' he smiled. ''Anna didn't say you were back.'' He stepped toward her and gave her a quick hug.

''She didn't know until today,'' Gwen replied, placing a kiss on his cheek.

''And who do we have here?'' John shifted his attention to the 4 year-old sitting on the rug, playing with her toys. He picked little Emma up from the floor, and she immediately wrapped her arms around him. Like her mother, Emma absolutely adored him.

''Jooohn!'' she squeaked, making all three adults laugh.

''Hello, sunshine!'' He kissed her cheek and asked, ''How is Miss Harding doing today?'' But the little girl just giggled and buried her head in the crook of his neck.

''She missed you. Both of you,'' Gwen said, knowing that the last few weeks away in Dublin had been hard on her daughter, too.

''Are you staying for dinner?'' John asked, after greeting Anna with a kiss. Regardless of the time or the company, he always made sure Anna knew that he adored coming home to her.

''I'm afraid not.'' Gwen picked up her bag and stood up. ''I still have some unpacking to do, and if I'm going to try to make it to Daisy's hen party, I need to start making some phone calls.''

''What do you mean?'' John frowned and looked at his wife, while lowering Emma down to the floor.

''She's invited to Daisy's party on Friday, but her mother is out of town...and with John still in Dublin, she doesn't have anyone to look after Emma for the night,'' Anna explained, following Gwen into the hall.

''Oh, no worries - if I don't find anyone, we'll just have a quiet girls' night in, won't we, Emma?'' Gwen looked down at her daughter, who just smiled and took her mother's hand.

''I'm sure you will,'' Anna giggled and ran a finger through the little girl's ginger curls. ''Let me know if you find someone, all right?'' she said, following them to the front door.

''I will.'' Gwen hugged Anna.

''What about _me_?'' John's voice drew the attention of both women.

''What _about_ you?'' Gwen looked at him quizzically.

''Well, Anna won't be home and I don't really have any plans, so what do you say to Emma coming and staying with me for the night?

''John, that's too much! I can't ask you to…'' Gwen protested, but John smiled and made his way to Emma.

''Of course you can.'' Kneeling down to look her in the eye, he asked, ''What do you think, Em? Would you like to stay with Uncle John, while Mummy and Aunt Anna have some fun?''

''YES! Please, Mummy - can I?'' the girl asked, looking up at her mother.

''You really don't mind...?'' Gwen asked again, looking for even a trace of doubt or hesitation in John's eyes, but seeing none.

''How could I mind spending time with this little princess?'' John smiled, standing up and taking Anna's hand in his.

''All right...if you're certain. Thank you!'' Gwen said, and hugged both of them before saying goodbye.

As soon as Gwen and Emma had gone, Anna turned to her husband and surprised him with a slow, sensual kiss. It didn't take him long to wrap his arms around her, so that she was flat against him.

''What was that for?'' he asked breathlessly, when they parted.

''For being the sweetest man in the entire world.'' She smiled and started leading him toward their bedroom. ''And because I know that you actually have a poker night at Robert's on Friday, but you've chosen to spend your time with a 4 year-old instead.''

''Does that turn you on?'' John chuckled, when she started fumbling with his belt buckle.

''You have no idea!'' she giggled, before pulling him into another kiss and tugging him through the door of their room.

 **xXx**

''I'm too old for this.'' Gwen moaned, having woken up with a terrible hangover the morning after the hen party. She and Anna were sharing a room upstairs in the pub where the party had taken place.

''You and me both,'' Anna replied shakily from the toilet. Just like Gwen, she was feeling the effects of countless tequila shots from the previous night.

''I think I'm going to be sick,'' Gwen said, and lay back down on the mattress as the whole room spun.

''Here.'' Anna walked out of the bathroom with a glass of water in one hand and two aspirin in the other.

''Thank you,'' her friend replied, sitting up so she could take the pills. ''What time is it?''

''Just past nine.'' Anna sat down next to her.

''Nine? The last time I woke up that late was…I don't even remember when...'' Gwen chuckled. ''I think it must have been sometime before we had Emma.''

''But it _is_ worth it, isn't it? I mean…'' Anna began. Gwen turned to look at her.

''Are you…?''

''No, no!'' Anna giggled, shaking her head. ''I mean, don't get me wrong...we both want children, and believe me, we have definitely been practicing…'' she added, making Gwen laugh.

''Look…'' Gwen turned onto her side and covered Anna's hand with hers. ''It might sound a little cliché, but it will happen when it's meant to happen. Believe me.''

''I know, it's just...sometimes…I can't wait to see John with our own little bundle of joy safely tucked in his arms.'' Anna glowed, just thinking about it. John was going to be a wonderful dad!

''Oh, you two are so in love - it's almost sickening,'' Gwen teased, and started to laugh. The truth was that she was absolutely thrilled that Anna and John had found each other. They were perfect together, and she knew a baby would only add to their happiness.

''Oh, shut up, you!'' Anna laughed, and threw a pillow in her direction, making Gwen laugh even louder.

''And in case you were wondering, John sent me a text saying that they both successfully survived the night.'' Anna stood up and started packing.

''He's an angel. I do hope you know you've got one of the good ones, Anna.''

''Oh, believe me, I do. I really do.''

 **xXx**

''We're back!'' Anna called, stepping through the front door with Gwen behind her.

''Mummy!'' A joyful shriek came from the sitting room, and immediately Emma was running down the hall in their direction.

''Hello, little one!'' Gwen scooped her up, gave her a big hug, and kissed her daughter's cheek. ''How are you? Have you been good for Uncle John?''

''She was an angel,'' John said, appearing in the hall.

''What happened to _you_?'' Gwen asked, and both she and Anna burst into laughter.

''What do you mean?'' he frowned.

''Did you and Uncle John have a little party, hmm?'' Gwen asked Emma, who just nodded her head. ''I made Uncle John pretty!''

''You certainly did,'' Gwen chuckled, walking toward John. ''Thank you so much. I'll just get her stuff and we'll be off.'' She kissed his cheek and disappeared upstairs.

''What's so funny?'' John turned to his wife, puzzled.

''You have two pink hair clips in your hair,'' Anna smiled, walking toward him.

''Oh, that.'' John chuckled. ''Well, Emma insisted on having a tea party and we had to make ourselves presentable, didn't we?''

''Mhm, I can see that.'' As John started to remove the clips from his hair, her giggles turned into chortles.

''What is that?'' She took his hand in hers, and peered at his nails, which were badly painted with her own red nail polish.

''Oh, good god.'' John chuckled in embarrassment, trying to pull his hand out of Anna's grasp. When Emma had barged into their bedroom early that morning, she had spotted a bottle of bright red nail polish on Anna's nightstand. And when she had asked him if she could use it for the party, John hadn't had the heart to say no. He knew that Anna wouldn't mind, and he had assumed that Emma wanted to use it for her own nails. But he quickly discovered that he had been wrong when the little girl had started painting his nails, too. He had meant to remove it before Anna and Gwen returned, but had been having so much fun playing with Em that he had forgotten all about it.

''This colour would go perfectly with your glittery red heels, Miss Juliet,'' Anna said seriously, but he knew she was only teasing.

''Yes, yes...very funny,'' he replied and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer. ''Whatever you do, don't tell Robert about this - I'd never hear the end of it, all right?''

''Or else?'' She grinned, locking her arms around his neck.

''Or I'll just have to show you how spending time with Emma made me realize just how much I want children of our own,'' he whispered into her ear, making the hair on Anna's neck stand on end.

''How many are you planning on, Mr. Bates?'' she managed to ask with a smile.

''As many you wish,'' he mumbled before closing the gap between them, giving her one of the sweetest kisses she had ever received.

''Are you wearing my strawberry lip gloss, too?'' she giggled when they pulled apart, but he just covered her smile with his lips again, ignoring her question completely.

* * *

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 **hello! thank you for reading! let us know what you think of this chapter! :D**


	11. Gumijasta račka

**# 11 – The rubber ducky**

''Miss, are you sure you don't need any more help?'' the young man asked, closing the doors of the moving van.

''Yes, I'm sure.'' Anna smiled brightly, tucking her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. After years of living first with her parents, then sharing a room with Gwen at uni, and moving in with her now _ex_ -boyfriend Tony right after that, she was finally moving into her first flat.

''A friend of mine will be here any minute to help me with the rest of the boxes. But thank you anyway.''

''All right,'' the man nodded and climbed into the driver's seat. ''Good luck, then!'' he added before pulling away.

Sitting down on one of the boxes on the pavement, Anna took a moment to look down the street that she now proudly called home. Downton Village was small, but she felt that she could not have picked a better place to start a new chapter of her life. The people seemed kind, she had everything she needed close by, and it was peaceful enough for her to work on her projects without being interrupted by anything of consequence. It felt perfect, but deep down she had to admit to herself that it was really only perfect because _he_ was here.

 _Oh, Anna...stop with these silly ideas of yours_ , she scolded herself. Yes, he had helped her with the whole Tony mess, the flat, and literally everything she had asked of him, even though he knew that Vera would be all over him when she found out whom he had been helping. He was one of her best friends…and that was the main problem. He was just a _friend_...a good one, but nevertheless still only a friend.

''And they say _I'm_ the one who broods.'' His deep voice made her turn to her left.

''Hello.'' She stood up quickly and smiled. He was wearing khakis and an open-collared black shirt, but what really made her knees weak was the pair of black glasses perched on his nose. Was he always that handsome or did her mind just run wild every time she laid eyes on him?

''I thought you'd forgotten me!'' she said with a grin.

''We both know that you are quite unforgettable, Miss Smith.'' He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

''Don't let Vera hear you,'' she laughed. He was always teasing her...always just on the edge of flirting, but never quite daring to cross that line.

''Well, thank god she's not here any more.'' He lifted two boxes. He and Vera had had one of their frequent quarrels a few days ago, and she had once again packed her belongings and moved out of their flat. John knew that she would likely be back at some point, but right now helping Anna move into her new flat was his first priority.

He had been elated when the elderly woman who owned in the flat opposite his had told him that she was moving to a retirement home and was looking for someone to rent her flat. She had asked him if he knew anyone who might be interested, and the first person he had thought of had been Anna. How very glad he had been when Anna had said yes. Having her so close made him happy, even though he knew that he was walking on thin ice.

''For now, you mean,'' she sighed, well aware of Vera's unpredictability.

''For now,'' he repeated and turned around, pushing the door open with his back. ''So I suggest we hurry before she comes back and happens to see who the new neighbour is.''

''You didn't tell her it was me?'' Anna lifted one of the boxes and followed him into the apartment building.

''Oh, don't tell me you don't want to see the shocked expression on her face,'' John chuckled, climbing the stairs to her flat.

''You'll get in trouble, John,'' she fretted. She knew Vera wasn't keen on her. She had only met her a couple of times in the last 3 years, but Vera had made sure that Anna knew just what she thought of her spending time in her husband's company.

''It wouldn't be the first time.'' He winked at her as they entered her new flat and set the boxes down.

''John…'' she persisted, but he interrupted.

''Anna, you needed a place to live, and all I did was tell you about Mrs. O'Neill moving out. That's it.'' He touched her shoulder and smiled warmly. ''It isn't my fault that you were the best candidate. _Mrs. O'Neill_ chose you, not I.''

''It's just that...I don't want her to…''

''Anna,'' he interrupted once again, smiling. He was so happy that she was here. He hadn't been able to sleep for the last few nights due to his excitement, even though Vera had been making his life a living hell. ''You are here and she can't do anything about it, all right?''

''All right,'' she conceded. She wanted to discuss it more at some point, but he looked so pleased that she didn't want to ruin the moment for him.

''OK, then. Come!'' He practically sang as he disappeared down the stairs to get more of her boxes.

 **xXx**

It was almost 6 in the evening when they finally finished stacking all of Anna's boxes into the middle of her empty new sitting room. She had asked him to stay for dinner, and it hadn't taken much persuading for him to agree, even though he was a little concerned about what the neighbours, especially Miss O'Brien, would say about him spending the evening in her flat. The last thing he wanted was for her to become the subject of gossip on her first day. They ate, talked, and simply enjoyed spending time together. And he would have stayed longer, if he hadn't seen her yawn.

''Thank you for today,'' she smiled, leaning against the front doorframe.

''Thank you for dinner,'' he replied, beaming. ''And really, if you need anything at all, just knock on my door.''

''Will do.'' She reached up and placed a soft thank-you kiss on his cheek. ''See you tomorrow?''

''See you tomorrow,'' he sighed, and walked backwards to his own door.

''Good night, John.''

''Good night,'' he whispered, before closing the door behind him.

 _For god's sake, Bates!_ he thought.

''What the hell do you think you are doing, you idiot?!'' he muttered under his breath. He walked to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and sat down on the couch. He knew that he shouldn't be acting like a lovesick schoolboy around her, but he couldn't seem to stop himself, no matter how hard he tried. She was simply too irresistible.

He had been flipping through the TV channels for some time, trying to find something worth watching, when he heard a knock at the door.

''Who could that be?'' he wondered. It was late, and he was certain that if it were Vera, she wouldn't have knocked in a million years.

''Coming!'' he called. Unlocking and opening the door, his heart skipped a beat. Anna was standing just a few inches away from him, with nothing but a white towel wrapped around her body.

''An-...? Wha-…?'' he began, but his brain was completely unprepared to see her in that state of undress.

''Hi,'' she said sheepishly, clutching at her towel. ''Sorry to bother you so late, but I think one of my water pipes just burst or something.'' She had been in the tub, enjoying a hot bath, when a strange sound had come from inside the wall.

''John?'' she prompted, when he just stood there, staring at her, his mouth hanging very slightly open.

''Ummm, wh-...what?'' he managed to choke out. _She is breathtaking_ , he thought, trying not to let his gaze drift down her body.

''Are you all right?'' she asked innocently.

''Yeah, yeah, sure,'' he replied quickly.

''So can you help me?''

''Help you with what?'' he asked, still trying not to stare, but failing miserably.

''With my pipe?'' she repeated, trying not to laugh at his expression. ''Are you sure you're OK?''

''Umm, yes…just let me get my tools.'' He finally snapped out of it and disappeared into the kitchen. He needed a minute to calm himself and gather his thoughts. He offered her the use of his bath while he was working on the leak, then went across the hall to check out the problem. After assessing the situation, he decided that the safest thing he could do was to turn off the main water stop valve under the sink. The rest could be done by a plumber the next day.

''I've done what I can,'' he called through the closed bathroom door, after returning to his flat. ''But you'll need to ring the plumber in the morning.''

''I will, thank you,'' her muffled voice said through the door.

''No problem.'' He rested his head against the bathroom door, exhaling slowly. He could hear her moving around inside and knowing that the only thing separating them was one thin door really made his blood boil. She was in his bathroom, having a bath…naked… _good god, John, don't go there_. He tried to block the images running through his mind, but he knew he couldn't and, to be honest, deep down he knew that he didn't want to. It was simple, really - he was in love, and it tore his soul apart every time he thought of the fact that she could never be his.

''Can I use one of your towels?'' Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

''Towel…heart…''

''What?''

''Yes, they're in the cupboard under the sink,'' he said, a little more loudly.

A few minutes later, a freshly-bathed Anna walked into the kitchen where John was making tea. She was wrapped in her own white towel again and had her wet hair wrapped in one of John's.

''Did you find everything?'' he asked, focusing on the tea and not daring to look at her.

''I did, thank you. And I found this little guy behind the cupboard,'' she added with a grin.

''What…?'' John turned and saw that she was holding his old yellow rubber ducky. ''Oh, it's Billy!''

''Billy?'' Anna eyed him quizzically.

Moving away from the stove, he walked over to her and took the duck from her hands.

''Yes, Billy.'' He smiled lovingly at the toy. ''My mother gave him to me when I was about 2. He was one the few things from my childhood that survived the fire.'' Suddenly tears welled in his eyes, and he blinked quickly, clearing his throat.

''Oh, John - I'm sorry. I didn't want to…'' She felt terrible all of a sudden. He had told her a long time ago about how his drunken father had accidently set their family home on fire back in Scotland. John had been only 6 at the time, and since he had lost most of his possessions, she realized how important this little memento must be to him.

''No, no, it's all right.'' He shook his head. ''It's just...I thought that Vera had thrown him away. Thanks.''

''Why would she do that? Doesn't she know how much he means to you?''

''She does; that's why I thought she'd got rid of him.'' Vera was always doing things she knew would hurt him. ''Could I ask you a favour?''

''Sure,'' Anna said softly, pleased that his smile had returned.

''Would you take him to your flat? If Vera finds him, she'll…'' He didn't need to spell it out. She covered his hand with hers and gently took the duck from him.

''I'll keep him safe.''

''Thank you.'' He smiled shyly, relieved that she didn't seem to think it was a silly request. Billy was more than just an old toy; the duck reminded him of his mother.

''You're welcome. Just promise you'll come visit us,'' she teased, and held the duck close to her chest.

''I will, don't worry.'' He chuckled and turned back to the stove. ''Tea?''

''I don't think I should. I've already wasted enough of your time.''

''Don't be ridiculous. We're neighbours, and neighbours help each other, right?''

''All right. Just give me a minute to change into my pyjamas and put Billy in a safe place,'' she grinned, and headed toward the door. It meant the world to her that he trusted her with something as special to him as Billy. And she liked the idea of spending more time with him, sipping tea and just talking. But what she _didn't_ plan on was being confronted by his wife when she opened the front door.

''Ve-...Vera!'' Anna gasped.

''Well, well, what do we have here?'' said Vera icily, narrowing her eyes and scrutinising Anna's towel-clad form.

''Ummm…'' Anna really had no idea what to say.

''Where is he then?'' Vera pushed her to the side and stepped into the flat. ''JOHN!''

''Vera?'' he said, surprised to see her back so soon. ''What are you doing here?''

''What am _I_ doing here? Are you fucking kidding me, John!? I leave this place for two days and here you are...already screwing this little whore of yours!''

''HEY!'' he protested, but she cut him off.

''Don't you _dare_ , John. And _you_ …'' She turned to look at Anna. ''Get out of my flat…NOW!'' she yelled, making Anna jump. ''OUT!'' she screamed, when Anna opened her mouth to respond.

''Anna, it's OK.'' John turned to her and nodded, silently begging for her to leave before Vera lost control completely. ''Go.''

Without saying another word, Anna turned around and left. Her heart ached, knowing that she was leaving him alone with that woman. He had told her many times how nasty Vera could be, but this was the first time she had witnessed it in person. The woman was mad, and the way she had stared at her had really made the hair on her neck stand on end.

 **xXx**

''You!'' Vera turned her attention back to John, when the door had closed behind Anna. ''You _swine_.''

''Let me explain…''

''Just shut up and listen.'' She took a step closer. ''I don't want you near that _slut_ , you hear me?''

''Vera, nothing happened! The only reason she was here…'' he began, even though he knew it was hopeless to try to have a reasonable conversation with her.

''I don't care! Get rid of her or you will be _sorry_!'' she hissed, before disappearing into the bedroom and locking the door. John knew that would be sleeping on the couch tonight.

''Good god.'' He closed his eyes and leaned on the counter. _What on earth had ever possessed him to marry her?_ Taking a few deep breaths, he pulled out his phone and sat down. He needed to make sure that Anna was all right.

 _''_ _Anna I'm so sorry about everything. I'll talk to her in the morning.''_ He sent the text, hoping that she'd answer. He felt horrible about the way Vera had acted and he felt even more embarrassed that he had not defended Anna.

 _''_ _Don't worry about me. I'm OK. Are you all right?''_ she replied almost immediately.

 _''_ _I'll be fine. But I'm really sorry about everything.''_

 _''_ _Don't be. It's her, not you.''_ She knew that the only reason he had asked her to leave was Vera; he hadn't wanted to make the situation even worse than it already was. But he had no idea how much she'd wanted to stay and stand up for him. _''I'm worried about you.''_

 _''_ _I can manage, don't worry. Can I check on you tomorrow?''_

She knew it would be better to say no...to keep a distance...but just as he did, she needed to see him and make sure he was all right after tonight's fiasco. _''Sure.''_

 _''_ _Sweet dreams.''_

 _''_ _Sweet dreams,''_ she replied, before changing to her pyjamas and falling asleep with Billy cradled in both hands.

* * *

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